California cherry harvest started in the Bakersfield area about May 1, which was late but weather was good.

Early volumes were low at about 4,000 to 5,000 boxes a day, said Jim Culbertson, executive manager of the California Cherry Advisory Board in Lodi. Each box is 18 pounds.

The crop may be lighter in the northern regions but likely will be close to last year's 8.9 million boxes, he said.

The northern crop, up into Marysville, should peak in early June with the southern portion having no real peak, he said. The season is expected to wind down by the end of June, dovetailing with the Northwest crop. Sometimes overlap hurts marketing efforts in Washington, the main Northwest producer.

Early California sales are strong to Japan with China also showing interest, Culbertson said.

Bakersfield picking usually starts about April 28, said Kyle Mathison, owner of Kyle Mathison Orchards of Wenatchee, Wash.

Mathison owns cherry orchards at Bakersfield, in Chile and on Wenatchee's Stemilt Hill. He is a vice president of family-owned Stemilt Growers Inc., of Wenatchee, the world's largest cherry packer. His son, West Mathison, is president.

In Bakersfield, reflective ground covers are being used to bring on cherry color but it doesn't hasten sugars, Kyle Mathison said.

"Some people are picking, but it's not world famous Stemilt cherries," he said, noting he will wait until about May 10 for better sugar development.

"Here in California we set the table for Washington," he said. "If the consumer has a good experience they will say, 'Great' and buy again. If not, they won't. So it's a challenge for us to wait."

The lateness of the Washington crop means his Amigos Orchard on Stemilt Hill, one of the highest in the state at 3,300 feet elevation, may be producing cherries in September, he said.

-- Dan Wheat