Cherries blooming earlier and in record numbers in B.C. - Action News
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British Columbia

Cherries blooming earlier and in record numbers in B.C.

B.C. growers are expecting record number of cherries to hit store shelves by early June.

B.C. growers say the warm and early spring could mean 12M pounds of cherries this season

A close up of a  lot of red cherries
B.C. growers expect 12 million pounds of cherries this season. That is an increase from last year's 10.5 million pounds. (CBC)

B.C. growers are expecting an abundance of cherries to hit store shelves in early June.

The record-breaking warmweather in the Okanaganhas meant an early bloom and a bumper crop.

"We've had the earliest bloomwe'veever seen here," saidHank Markgraf, horticulturalistswithB.C. Tree Fruits, a cooperative comprised of over 500 local tree fruit grower families.

There is still an outside risk heavy rain could ruin the cherry crop. (Brady Strachan/CBC)

Increase in supply

The cherries are blooming seven days earlier than normaland the farmers are expecting to ship 12 million pounds this season,up from 10.5 million last year.

Even thoughfarmers don't control retail prices, the increase in supply couldchange theprice of cherries.

There is still concern that rain could ruin the crops, but otherwise the growers say they are ready to tackle the large volume.

With files from the CBC'sDaybreak South.