Aid for Cherry Producers Pt 1
With today's Fruit Grower Report, I'm Bob Larson. It's not a perfect solution, or really a solution at all, but Washington cherry growers got a little relief last week when USDA announced their inclusion to the $16-billion aid package to help those hurt by Chinese tariffs.
U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse says it was a bipartisan effort ...
NEWHOUSE ... "As you know, both Senator Cantwell and I have been very active working on this to make sure that cherry growers, in particular, get some relief from some of the pressures that they've been feeling since the disruption in markets with tariffs and some of the trade issue that we have with China and other countries."
China is the number one export market for Washington sweet cherries, so Newhouse says this was important ...
NEWHOUSE ... "Cherries have been kind of on the tip of the spear of this whole thing. When the tariffs were first instituted, we were just going into cherry season last year. And so, this is actually a second season that they've had to endure the challenges with this trade complex that we have. So, I'm happy that the administration has listened to us and has continued to provide some of this needed support to keep fruit growers in our region, at least try as hard as you can, to keep them whole as they work through these trade challenges. So, I'm very happy about that."
For producers who filed in 2018, they can receive 17-cents per pound up to $125,000. For those who applied in 2019, the limit is $250,000.
Listen tomorrow for more on the aid for cherry growers.
