Cherries in the COVID-19 World Pt 3
With today’s Fruit Grower Report, I’m Bob Larson. While COVID-19 continues throwing hurdles in the path of our food supply, cherry growers are hard at work making sure there is a crop to ship.
But, besides the coronavirus, Northwest Cherry Growers President BJ Thurlby says the weather hasn’t been ideal either …
THURLBY … “This year’s crop is going to be a little bit shorter. You know, we had a very cold March. We had a very warm January, and a very mild February, and so we’re still looking at cherries coming off a little bit earlier this year, probably the last week of May. And, from there, it’s going to be a busy June and July.”
Until then, Thurlby says they’ll make the best of it …
THURLBY … “But this crop doesn’t look like it’s going to be one of the larger crops that we’ve had in recent years. It’s looking like it’s going to be one that’s kind of in the middle. We still have plenty of volume, but it’s not going to be a big giant crop.”
That’s due, Thurlby says to the recent string of chilly overnight temps …
THURLBY … “If you’re a grower you look at it like a series of paper cuts, having to look for heating units and, but a lot of times if an orchard can be heated up two or three degrees from where it’s at, we can your crop. So, that’s what these guys have been up to for the last month.”
Fortunately, of late, things have improved …
THURLBY … “Yeah, it was gorgeous. Let’s put it this way, we’re coming into full bloom in the Yakima Valley on our trees and it’s been perfect weather for the cherries that are left out there to get pollinated. So, that’s a positive.”
So, Thurlby says don’t forget about Northwest cherries in early June.
