Winding Up Cherries Part 2

Winding Up Cherries Part 2. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Cherry season is winding down. Growers have had wonderful fruit coming off their trees to the point that the market is bursting. The recent heat wave has been causing a bit of trouble but according to Gip Redman, Oregon Cherry Growers and Washington cherry farmer most producers are about done.

REDMAN: The Yakima Valley is basically done except for up in the high areas of the Natchez and then the upper northern part of the state and the heights around Wenatchee. They’re still probably going to harvest for another couple weeks.

Oregon cherries are running pretty much the same says Redman.

REDMAN: I think the late district in Dufur & Parkdale in Oregon have probably got another week to 2 weeks also. The Dalles is going to finish this week and there’s a slow decline which we’re in, there’s just a lot of fruit still to harvest, a lot of good fruit.

There have been some downsides to this season including almost too much fruit and depressed prices for producers but Redman says the final outcome is very positive.

REDMAN: One of the good things out of this whole season is the fact that a record amount of fruit is going to be packed and shipped, that means it’s going to be consumed which means there’s a lot more people that have eaten a lot of good cherries and hopefully that will bode well for the future.

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