Raspberry Outlook Pt 2
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. When it comes to weather, as farmers well know, it’s always something, be it a heat dome or record rainfall.Henry Bierlink, executive director at the Washington Red Raspberry Commission, says given the wetter and colder spring we’ve had, raspberry growers have fared better than others …
BIERLINK … “We’re in better shape. I’d say of all that I hear of around here and in the eastern side of the state, I think raspberries are probably in some of the best shape than anything else. There’s some other ones that are in really tough shape. It’s been a real struggle for our farmers around here.”
Higher prices, Bierlink says made the 2021 season bearable …
BIERLINK … “But we need them to stay up fairly high in order to cover all those high input costs and hopefully we get our production up again this year after that heat dome last year. So, I think there’s a lot of questions. So, I think there’s still, I would say general optimism. And if our prices are up anywhere near where they were last year, at least we could come out with a little bit of profit.”
As for the quality and quantity of this year’s crop,
Bierlink is cautiously optimistic …
BIERLINK ... “At this point, certainly, we think quality will be fine. There’s no reason to think otherwise at this point. And, we think our production will be at least back to normal. It won’t be a big crop, but it should be a good crop, as last year’s was looking before we lost 30% with that heat dome.”
Bierlink says raspberry harvest probably won’t get going until after the 4th of July.