Cherries Getting Ready

I had a quick drive around some of the cherry orchards in my area the other evening and I have to say it does look like there will be a nice cherry season...and very soon. I spoke with Valent USA's Bryon Phillips who has heard some interesting news.

PHILLIPS: I had a report that a grower down in the Mattawa area started Chelan harvest this week. So that's much earlier than I can ever remember starting before but I also know that there are some other Chelan's in the Mattawa area that are going to start up in earnest on June 2nd. Everything that I've seen in the mid-elevations, they just got their GA's on about a week ago and they're at about that in between straw and starting to develop some blush so they're looking at harvest here in another couple of weeks.

Phillips says the quality is looking really good.

PHILLIPS: Crop loads look decent and you know the weather forecast looks good so we are setting up for a very nice smooth, orderly harvest of good quality cherries.

This northwest crop will be an important one since the normal crop that comes from California is not there this year due to drought conditions. Also since this looks to be an early crop the lack of competition with California growers should help alleviate some labor issues and will of course help the price growers receive. Keep your fingers crossed as the next couple of weeks go by that the weather holds and we can get this crop off the trees and into the stores.

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