California cherry crop 'unusually light'

California cherries are now beginning to show up at roadside stands, farmers markets and grocery stores, but the supply in 2013 may be a touch scanty, reported Reed Fujii in the Stockton Record.

Joe Grant, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in San Joaquin County, said the cherry crop is light throughout the area, across orchards and varieties.

"That rules out orchard-to-orchard factors, management factors or disease factors," he said.

Crop losses are often weather-related, but early frosts, or wet or cold weather during the bloom were not factors.

"Right now, the only candidate ... is we had quite warm weather for a couple of days during bloom," Grant said. That heat may have affected pollination and reduced the amount of fruit each tree carries.

On the bright side, the fruit looks to be of good quality.

 

 

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