Cherries and Inflation Pt 1

From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. On top of everything that’s been impacting our lives of late, the past couple of years have also thrown a couple of big weather challenges at cherry growers.

Northwest Cherry Growers president BJ Thurlby says the first cherries out there are already showing the impacts …

THURLBY … “Cherries out of California, right now, are averaging about $5 to $5.50 per pound on average. Those are ad-promoted cherries. But you could walk into any grocery store, just depending on who’s running an ad and who’s not, and find them for as high as $8.99 a pound.”

Cherries, Thurlby says, are also impacted by inflation, like everything else …

THURLBY … “I’ve had numerous growers tell me that between labor and chemicals and your basic expenses that you need from outside your own labor has gone up at least 15% this year.”

Northwest cherries, Thurlby says will be no different …

THURLBY … “I think all consumers, we’re all used to it, we’ve seen this over the last six months and so cherries are going to be in that $4.99 per pound range, on ad, and we’ll find some that will definitely be higher out there.”

Consumers elsewhere, Thurlby says will really see a difference …

THURLBY … “When we look at the foreign markets, there are always some potential pitfalls. For starters, we fly 90% of our export crop that goes offshore, not including Canada or Mexico, but we fly those cherries.”

Tune in tomorrow for more on the rising costs of everything we love, including our Northwest cherries.