May 2022 - 24

CHERRY MARKETING INSTITUTE
Domestic, global market expansion is a priority
JULIE GORDON
President/
Managing Director
JGordon@usacherries.com
Expanding markets both domestically
and abroad remains one of the top
priorities for the Cherry Marketing
Institute (CMI). We analyze import and
export data on a regular basis and keep
a close eye on what is going on with tart
cherries around the world.
As the produce market became more
globalized several years ago, offering
consumers fresh fruits and vegetables
year-round, U.S. Montmorency tart
cherries were already available year-round
in multiple forms. Now, our industry
continues to work hard to find its spot in a
very competitive worldwide marketplace.
Not only are retailers now importing
fresh fruits and vegetables from several
countries, they continue to increase the
volume of imported processed food.
Often this imported product is sold at a
price below the cost of U.S. production.
This is in part due to foreign industries
paying their workers as low as $8 a day
and having fewer regulations on working
conditions, including the hours worked
per day.
When you add the input cost from the
farm to the grocery store, it has become
increasingly more difficult for U.S.
growers/farmers and processing plants to
compete with these unfair labor practices.
Couple low wages with government
subsidies and the playing field completely
changes. Tart cherries are not alone. Many
commodity groups across the U.S. are
struggling to maintain the market share
that they once had, as well as find new
with buyers in the bakery and food
service sectors.
In addition to our new work in Mexico,
we continue to have representation in
China, South Korea and the United
Kingdom, using Market Access Program
funds to expand sales in those target
markets. However, in the 2023-24
marketing year, we will be shifting
funding from the United Kingdom to a
new market. We have kept a close eye on
the top 10 export markets, and we are
working on setting the stage for our next
market that has the biggest potential for
our industry.
We remain focused on long-term goals
markets for their products.
Sadly, the path forward has looked
bleak for many American farmers.
However, the pandemic, a freeze event in
Spain and the war in Ukraine may change
that. Transportation has been a struggle
like we have never seen. That produce we
used to get in five days is now taking up
to 45 days. All of these issues may result
in a reduced global supply.
Hopefully, with the current
worldwide challenges we will see more
U.S.-grown agricultural products
replacing the imported food in both
retail and foodservice.
We are always looking for potential
markets in which we can assist our
processors and marketers with generic
promotion to help increase sales. Being
a very small commodity group, we are
fortunate to have support from the USDA
Foreign Agriculture Service to expand
sales abroad.
One program that we have not used
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24 | FruitGrowersNews.com
in several years is the Emerging Market
Program (EMP). In 2019, we applied
for, and later received, EMP funding to
expand sales in Mexico.
Earlier this year, a market study on
tart cherries was completed, exposing a
clear lack of knowledge in the difference
between a sweet and a tart cherry.
Working with the team at Asimetagraf
and the Agricultural Trade Office in
Mexico City the deep dive has begun.
I took my first trip to meet with buyers
and CEOs of several high-end produce
distributors and retail chains. Even though
the U.S. tart cherry industry has been
exporting product into Mexico for many
years, amounts have been very minimal
and there is very little knowledge about
U.S. Montmorency tart cherries, their
product forms, availability or the health
benefits associated with our cherries.
A second trip is planned in a couple
of months to follow up with the
appointments that we had and to meet
with the biggest return on investment.
The ever-changing world trade
distribution may influence our direction,
much like our importers of foreign food
may be challenged with.
The Weber Shandwick team has
been working hard as well to increase
awareness and sales of U.S.-grown tart
cherries. They recently hosted a webinar
with a leading trade publication, Prepared
Foods. This educational and interactive
session gave food scientists and product
developers the opportunity to learn
about the benefits of Montmorency tart
cherries and inspire ways to incorporate
the U.S.-grown superfruit in food and
beverage innovations. The attendee list
with 137 participants was distributed to
our marketers for them to share with their
sales and marketing team.
The U.S. tart cherry crop forecast
looks much brighter than the previous
couple of years. However, it is still too
early to know if the weather is going
to cooperate. We're keeping the faith
for our cherry growers and wishing
all our American farmers a safe and
prosperous year. FGN
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May 2022

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