Cherries blooming earlier and in record numbers in B.C.

B.C. growers are expecting an abundance of cherries to hit store shelves in early June.

The record-breaking warmweather in the Okanaganhas meant an early bloom and a bumper crop.

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"We've had the earliest bloomwe'veever seen here," saidHank Markgraf, horticulturalistswithB.C. Tree Fruits, a cooperative comprised of over 500 local tree fruit grower families.

Increase in supply

The cherries are blooming seven days earlier than normaland the farmers are expecting to ship 12 million pounds this season,up from 10.5 million last year.

Even thoughfarmers don't control retail prices, the increase in supply couldchange theprice of cherries.

There is still concern that rain could ruin the crops, but otherwise the growers say they are ready to tackle the large volume.

With files from the CBC'sDaybreak South.