Cherry Update Part 3

Cherry Update Part 3. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

When the cherries start hitting the marketplace in a couple of months you may see a new designation on some very select cherries. BJ Thurlby with Northwest Cherries says the Washington Cherry Marketing Committee has decided to mark certain large, high color, high sugar cherries as “Premium.”

THURLBY: I think we’ve got everyone on board. It was a unanimous vote by the marketing committee and so it looks to me like we’re actually going to have a premium Rainier cherry available to the market this year which is exciting.

A few weeks ago cherries to a major hit when Mexico challenged a NAFTA agreement and while the issue has cooled, it hasn’t gone away.

THURLBY: Well the Mexico trucking issue is still out there and it’s in my opinion going to be out there for a while until the governments of both countries sit down in a room and actually some of the high level players figure out how to resolve the issue.

Growers and shippers will still send fruit to Mexico but will have to content with a 20% tariff but Thurlby is still very optimistic about this year’s crop.

THURLBY: It’s so refreshing this year. It’s nice to be back in a crop situation where we’re all excited about it. The retailers and the exporters are excited about it where the opportunity and what appears to be a great crop on the trees just kind of has everybody very positive and looking forward to the season. So far, all systems go!

I for one am looking forward to some delicious Washington cherries. That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.