Japan: Stone Fruit Annual
Japanese production of cherries, called “sakuranbo” in Japanese, is tied to the distribution of premium gift cherries. Post estimates marketing year (MY) 2016 production at 19,500 metric tons (MT), an eight percent increase from the previous marketing year. Post estimates MY 2017 production at 18,500 MT. Cherry imports continue a marginal decline. Post estimates MY 2016 imports at 4,800 MT and forecast MY 2017 at 4,600 MT. Post raises Japanese peach production due to favorable weather to an estimated 130,000 MT in MY 2016, but forecasts a reduction to 123,000 MT in MY 2017.
