VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA - Cherry season has arrived! And to kick things off, Oppy is giving buyers the chance to get in on the action a little early as it has begun shipping the first cherries from Katco Packing after it recently formed this new alliance, offering the popular Brookside and Katicich brands under the same roof in Stockton, California.

“We are thrilled to bring cherries to our customers earlier than ever,” said Jon Bailey, who leads Oppy’s cherry category. “Having started on May 2, our volume has been steadily increasing with peak volume from May 15 onward and plenty of fruit for Memorial Day promotions. The quality looks good overall with some blocks in the northern area averaging a size 10 row size.”

Oppy typically begins domestic cherry season in mid-May, according to a press release. However, through this newly formed partnership, the grower, marketer, and distributor will offer cherries from the beginning of May through the end of August, harvesting in California, Oregon, and British Columbia.

To help bolster the success of this highly-anticipated season, Katco recently added a state-of-the art Unitech optical sorting machine to bring increased speed and accuracy to the packing process. As the grower plans to increase its supply of Coral cherries, and with the already heavy supply of Bings present in the last half of production, the new line will ensure consistent size and quality in its bags and clamshells.

In addition to this increased precision, the two brands offer each other a series of other benefits such as production efficiencies and logistical support, while Oppy vertically integrates to contribute marketing and promotional backing.

“Our program is built with partners who have a 100 percent cherry-focus. Having a team all-in on stone fruit, paired with this top-notch technology, is an equation for the best quality cherries we’ve seen come out of California. We are extremely pleased with the new developments in this category,” said Senior Vice President of Categories and Marketing James Milne.

With cherries getting ready to ship out, Oppy suggests that retailers make their consumers aware that the season has arrived. Bailey suggests positioning fruit so it’s easily visible in stores and headlining the news in e-commerce outlets to help online shoppers realize that cherries have made their way to the produce aisle.

As summer begins to unfold here in the Northern Hemisphere, Oppy has the key to capitalizing on early cherry sales, so stock up now.

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