Cherry Industry Update Part 2

Cherry Industry Update Part 2. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Providing everything goes as planned this could be one big crop of cherries here in the Northwest, in the 150 to 165 thousand ton range. BJ Thurlby NW Cherry says even though the season is a bit late growers are optimistic.

THURLBY: This year it’s a different story. It’s a much more positive story for the grower. We know we’ve got a good crop on the trees and right now we’re just looking at all the markets out there. My perspective is we need a nice comeback here this year, we need to have a nice crop to keep the retailers belief that we’ve got the volumes they need for their produce departments.

In anticipation of a good growing season Thurlby says there has been a minor change in the way they market certain cherries.

THURLBY: The Washington Cherry Marketing Committee is actually recommending a change, a little change on our grade and pack on Washington cherries and it doesn’t take anything out of the market so nothing changes unless the grower wants to change it and what it basically does is they want to be able to give certain cherries, the very nest cherries, the ones that have the high color, the high sugar and the 10 ½ row and large size – they want to be able to designate those cherries “Premium.”

It’s a good idea but not a done deal.

THURLBY: Right now the marketing order is in the process of going through the steps to try to get this in place and it looks like it’s going to happen before the season although this year is going to be more of a test run and next year will be a full blown deal.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.