Overview of the North American cranberry crop and market situation for 2022

June 23, 2022

Now is the time to share an overview of the North American cranberry crop and market situation for 2022.

Spring 2021

The forecast of a good harvest begins in the fall of the previous year with the formation of buds that produce the flowers and fruits of the season. In Quebec and Massachusetts, two regions where Fruit d’Or is present, fall bud counts predicted an excellent yield potential for 2022. For Wisconsin, the largest cranberry producing region, forecasts were rather conservative, probably as a result of below-average yields over the past three years. This spring, however, observations shifted with a wind of optimism.

Winter 2022

In Quebec and Wisconsin, the month of January was very cold, in addition to a thinner layer of snow cover on the fields in comparison to other years. This already reduced the yield of some fields, especially on organic farms. Wisconsin was hit by a series of hailstorms that affected a large part of the territory. This was a rare phenomenon, as hail is generally very local. Ultimately, it had an impact on the viability of the buds.

Conclusions

The season has only just begun, but these observations lead us to believe that what could have been a record harvest will be difficult to achieve. We therefore expect a rather average harvest. To date, the weather conditions in North America are rainy and cool, with the sun being slow to show itself. In order to have a good period of pollination by bees and bumblebees on farms, it is hoped that warmer and drier weather will come. These conditions before the summer season would help in the growth of the fruits before the harvests.