November 9, 2021
Harvest season is coming to a close here at Fruit d’Or. That said, we’d like to share a few harvest highlights with you as well as a market update on our specialty fruit: cranberries.
In Quebec
Due to the unseasonably warm weather in September and October, harvests everywhere were quite pleasant. Frost was practically non-existent, which was a sharp contrast to the cold spring we had. In our September newsletter, we mentioned that spring in Quebec had caused irreparable damage to certain farms, but that in general, we should expect average yields. We can now confirm that harvest season is expected to close at below average. During harvest, we found out that some of Quebec’s biggest farms reported lower yields than anticipated. Overall, for Fruit d’Or’s affiliate producers, yields have been good. That said, we’ll be able to fulfil the vast majority of our customers’ needs.
As for organic cranberries, we’re anticipating volumes to decrease by 25%, which goes for all Quebec-based producers. This is not the case for our affiliate producers. At Fruit d’Or, we expect to conclude this harvest season with a slight increase in volume. We’ll therefore have the necessary volumes to serve all our customers.
In the United States
In Wisconsin, as the harvest progressed, the news got increasingly worse. In last September’s newsletter, we mentioned that the anticipated harvest in Wisconsin wasn’t too encouraging. That said, it appears as though Wisconsin is headed for its worst harvest in 15 years with volumes sure to fall below 400 million pounds. As the industry’s biggest player, Wisconsin’s yield alone will create a serious shortage.
On the other hand, harvest season in Massachusetts isn’t over yet. And although our pre-harvest estimates projected higher yields this year, the state is expected to end its season with lower yields than in 2020 due to issues with quality resulting from the heavy August and September rainfalls. The marketable volumes from this area will be lower, considering that we’ll have to sort through the unsellable fruit upon reception.
We recommend that you confirm your orders now. Organic & conventional cranberries and wild blueberries. Dried fruit, purees, juices, concentrates, powder, seeds, seed extract, seed oil and much more.
Market impact
Yields in the largest producing regions—Quebec, Wisconsin and Massachusetts—have all been lower than in 2020. This generalized lower yield, combined with the current low inventory situation, will create a global cranberry shortage. The exact volumes harvested from Quebec crops will be released on November 18, while those from the United States are typically released at the end of January.
Questions? Please contact our sales team.
It’s the simple everyday things that make our berries so tender, tasty, healthy and give them the perfect texture. Each parcel of land we farm with care and respect. Each extra day we wait to ensure crops are harvested at peak ripeness. Each minute saved between field and freezer. Each berry perfectly preserved. Each unwanted substance detected and eliminated. And each delicious bite our customers enjoy.
