Bakers and snack manufacturers using cherries, raspberries, blackberries, prune or raisins in their recipes likely won’t be facing shortages of these ingredients this year, according to spokespeople for growers of these superfruits.
While it’s very early to predict [in April], the Pacific Northwest sweet cherry crop looks very good at this point in time. We are experiencing next to ideal weather during our bloom period, and the bees are busy pollinating. The Michigan sweet and tart cherry crop projection is an unknown, and the industry is anxious to determine the impact of the extreme arctic vortex winter weather conditions on the 2014 crop. However, overall, the Oregon Cherry Growers anticipates sufficient cherries to meet market demand. – Steve Kollas, vice president of technical services, OCG, Salem, Ore.