Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/114539
he said. "Understand where they have markets and where they have potential to run more product." Robert Kershaw, president of Domex Superfresh Growers in Yakima, Washington, said Northwest fresh cherry production has already doubled over the past ten years, and if it continues to increase, growers will need to take a serious look at what they're doing. "You've got to know your market and know who you're growing for," he said. "You can't be growing cherries, and handing them off, and hoping the person you're taking them to—the packers and marketers—are doing their best with them. You have to be growing to the market." Saturation point Kershaw said the North American market for cherries is reaching saturation point because of competition with other foods. "If we're going to continue to grow these volumes of cherries, quality is going to have to be unbelievable, so we can go to export markets. We're going to have to be growing large, firm cherries that we can deliver anywhere in the world. If we can't do that, there's no way we're going to be able to move the volumes that are coming at us. If I was to give one piece of advice for the industry and our growers, it would be to focus on quality and really focus on varieties that can go the distance, specifically in ocean containers that can take 14, 21, or 30 days." Randy Abhold, vice president of sales and marketing at Rainier Fruit Company, Selah, Washington, said that to move the current crop, the industry has to ship close to 3 million cartons a week at the height of the season. To keep the fruit moving, the quality of the cherries has to be such that consumers are enticed to buy them and go back multiple times for more. He reminded growers that the packing houses can't improve the quality of the cherries once they're delivered. "We're not a hospital," he said. "We don't make the produce any better after it comes in. It's all in the field." Displays Taylor said that, to be successful with larger crops, shippers and marketers need to plan out the season. They need to study the economic and currency indicators, understand what the market reception will be, and get in line with retailers. "We need to make sure we have the basics of good, old-fashioned marketing, we have the right real estate in the stores, good packaging, good product placement, good coordination, and a good cold chain." Studies show that only a third of consumers buy cherries. "Why is that?" Taylor asked. "That's a really low number. What are we going to do to make sure that those people are buying them again? What's going to drive them is big, firm, sweet, high-quality cherries and a good display. Yet, displays in grocery stores are not always at their best in the evenings when the typical cherry consumer goes shopping on their way home after work. "Go into a grocery store after 6 p.m. and look at a cherry display," Taylor suggested. "You'll be heartbroken most of the time as growers. A lot of times, it's been picked over, it hasn't been restocked, the product has dry stems, the packages are rumpled up, and the bags are mismatched all over the display. "I think the packaging element and good display have a long way to go," he added. "I think we could do a better job as an industry getting that first impulse purchase out of the consumer and, hopefully, if we put the right product out there, we can get the second and third buy. "We can get the space, but at the end of the day, consumer satisfaction will determine the industry's future," he said. "You can sell anything once, but if you can't sell it again, you're dead." • Serving Agriculture Since 1933 Quality Firman Pollen Improves: -Fruit Set -Bee Efficiency -Pollination Timing Quality Pollination Improves: -Yield Consistency -Fruit Quality -Fruit Storability Trust Quality Firman Pollen -Viability and Virus Tested -Compatibility Matched -Leaders in Application Technology Exclusive distributor of Scumby Puffers® Area Representatives: Washington: Columbia Basin and Yakima Valley Randy Bunce 509.452.8063 randy@firmanpollen.com Bleyhl Farm Service Grandview: 509.882.1225 Zillah: 509.829.6922 California Linden John DeMartini 209.484.8502 Tulare & Kern Counties Bob Cademartori 209.601.0754 Serving Agriculture Since 1933 Serving Agriculture Since Apple, Pear, Cherry, Plum, Apricot 301 N. 1st Avenue Yakima, WA 98902 (t) 509.452.8063 (f) 509.453.6838 1.800.322.8852 www.goodfruit.com Wenatchee/Okanogan area Tom, Kyle, & Linda Batch 509.687.9670 www.firmanpollen.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER March 15, 2013 31