The 2026 Northwest cherry season has kicked off, with harvest beginning across early districts this week. Growers are reporting strong fruit quality and excellent sizing, with promotable volumes expected to build steadily over the coming weeks under favorable weather conditions.
This is a big deal for the summer produce floor. Northwest cherries are a high-visibility, high-margin category, and an on-time, quality-forward start sets up a strong promotional window heading into June. This comes after the crop estimate was trimmed by 12% earlier in the season, so buyers already know supply will be tighter than last year — but what's coming in is looking good.
Expect promotional volumes to be available in the first week of June. With the reduced crop size, allocations may move fast — buyers who haven't locked in programs should be in contact with their shippers now.