Good Weekend for Cherries
Good Weekend for Cherries. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report.
The Fourth of July is a major target date for the cherry industry. It seems a lot of folks like to eat cherries during their holiday picnics. According to NW Cherries, BJ Thurlby, this was an outstanding year.
THURLBY: We have shipped over 11-million boxes so far which is by far the most we have ever shipped coming into the beginning of July and we've got a big July ahead of us. I think we've got another 8 or 9 million boxes to go which is great and will trickle into August but we're right in the dead center of the cherry season today.
It appears that most growers are very happy with this years crop.
THURLBY: Last year we were struggling with some growers who had one or two tons to the acre and I think most of the growers have more than that this year. The demand and the market has been there for us, as of this morning and it appears that it still is which is good. The cherry deal can shift like the wind but I think overall the growers are going to be pleased and they're going to be able to stay in business for another year.
Thurlby was recently in Seattle with a group of buyers from Hong Kong and he says the export market is still very good.
THURLBY: The foreign markets are opening up big time right now. We're starting to do some sea container shipments to numerous markets like China, like the United Kingdom, like Europe and talking to a broad variety of different international importers, sales have been really good overseas.
That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.
