Cider Update

Cider Update. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

The cider industry in the northwest has been growing at a rapid rate. New cideries have been popping at a healthy rate according to Sherrye Wyatt, executive director of the NW Cider Association.

WYATT: We have over 70 cider makers just here in the northwest now and it’s one of the largest collaborative pockets of cideries in one area. We have just about 30 now in Washington, another 30 in Oregon and then British Columbia, Montana and Idaho are also growing really rapidly.

Legislation has been introduced that will change the way cider is taxed.

WYATT: New legislation at the federal level to really help reform the Craft Beverage Modernization Act is what it’s called and for the first time cider is working together with all of craft beverages so vintners, distillers and beer makers are all together in this trying to reduce some of the burdens of taxes, inventories, issues related to alcohol content and just a lot of ways to sort of redefine and modernize. It’s just been introduced a few weeks ago.

Another piece of legislation has recently passed at the state level.

WYATT: An 8-cent per gallon tax on Washington ciders that has been removed and that was actually going to Washington wine and from now going forward Washington cider makers will be taxed 2-cents per gallon and it’s collected by the NW Cider Association and it will go right to cider marketing for Washington cider makers.

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