We may be experiencing climate shift or perhaps a returning weather cycle, either way this summer has seen a return to hotter, drier conditions.
As a result, few cherries have been rain damaged or split, and fruit quality on display has improved.
Some cherry packing lines have embraced the latest technology. The result has been more uniform sizing and complete control over which cherry goes into the carton or the waste bin—all done with less labour.
The season continues at the time of writing, later areas of the mainland are still picking, as are many cherry growing regions in Tasmania.
Chile and New Zealand may not have fared so well with the weather on their cherry crops. That will only be made clear when the end of season data is made available.
Crop forecasting hit and miss
Crop forecasting is used a lot in the US cherry industry. They know well in advance what the markets might expect.
It seems that our own processing apricot industry and the processor have miscalculated the total crop to a large degree this season. This has been disastrous for those with later maturing blocks who could not sell their fruit.
Unless the figures are based on good data, orchardists are not the best people to forecast a crop.
It is sometimes an emotional issue for an orchardist to come to the realization that there will be less fruit on the trees than last season; or worse still, to have too much fruit set on the trees and not have thinned to a profitable size.
These are matters to consider post season, when time will allow some prudent thought by those that seek to make a difference.
For more information, see Tree Fruit, January 2013
