Northwest Horticultural Council
Pacific Northwest Sweet Cherries
Cherry Fact Sheet
2023 Sweet Cherry Production: 18,742,834 boxes (20 lb. cartons)
(Includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Utah)
2023 Production Percentages:
- The Pacific Northwest produced 67% of the fresh U.S. sweet cherry crop.
- The Pacific Northwest exported 71% of the fresh U.S. sweet cherry exports by volume.
2022 Production Acreage1:
- Pacific Northwest: 50,500 acres
- United States: 84,500 acres
2022 Top Sweet Cherry Producing States1:
1. Washington
2. California
3. Oregon
State Facts:
- Cherry harvest season generally runs from early June through early August.
- Washington is the top U.S. producer of sweet cherries, apples, and pears.
- Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and California are the only states that export sweet cherries.
- The Washington and Oregon sweet cherry industries employ 20,000 people.
| Fresh Production Volume (20 lb. cartons) |
Percent of Pacific Northwest Crop Exported |
|
| 2023 | 18,742,834 | 32.6% |
| 2022 | 13,277,332 | 23.0% |
| 2021 | 20,342,214 | 29.2% |
| 2020 | 19,828,114 | 28.2% |
| 2019 | 23,261,628 | 34.5% |
| 2018 | 25,352,062 | 32.9% |
| 2017 | 26,432,194 | 35.2% |
| 2016 | 20,972,973 | 33.1% |
| 2015 | 19,307,244 | 30.7% |
| 2014 | 23,201,595 | 32.4% |
| Dollar Value of Pacific Northwest Crop | ||
| Year | Total | Export |
| 2023 | $697,758,518 | $235,369,040 |
| 2022 | $899,046,936 | $204,762,923 |
| 2021 | $866,903,387 | $281,251,801 |
| 2020 | $1,134,819,318 | $358,881,023 |
| 2019 | $994,628,398 | $362,726,029 |
| 2018 | $989,960,000 | $358,391,427 |
| 2017 | $1,005,060,711 | $398,771,700 |
| 2016 | $905,972,719 | $311,124,010 |
| 2015 | $826,724,492 | $284,572,184 |
| 2014 | $880,277,144 | $299,015,970 |
| 2023 Top Ten Cherry Export Markets | |
| Country | Volume (20 lb. cartons) |
| Canada | 1,988,641 |
| China | 986,552 |
| Korea | 782,321 |
| Taiwan | 642,873 |
| Mexico | 487,958 |
| Vietnam | 312,610 |
| Japan | 174,674 |
| Hong Kong | 173,425 |
| Thailand | 147,948 |
| Australia | 123,721 |
| Other | 287,974 |
| Total Exports | 6,108,697 |
1 Non-Citrus Fruits and Nuts 2022 Summary. USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Published May 2023. In 2018 NASS ceased its collection of data from Idaho. Starting in 2018 the NHC includes Idaho in some of its fact sheets based on private sector estimates rather than NASS survey data.
All other data provided by the Foreign Market Statistics Report 2023. Washington State Fruit Commission / Northwest Cherry Growers. Published October 2023.
Updated 4/26/24