Cherry Prospects Pt 2

Cherry Prospects Pt 2

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. The recent Five State meeting for Northwest Cherry Growers delivered some pretty good news for the industry.

President, BJ Thurlby says at this point, the crop is looking really good, but the weather for the next couple of months will be the deciding factor …

THURLBY … “You know, this warm weather could have an effect on that, if it stays warm like it has. And our weather pattern over the next two weeks really isn’t showing it’s going to be in the 90s or anything. It looks like it’s going to be in the 70s and just kind of mild which is actually really good. So, we’re still thinking right around the 14th of June will be that kickoff date for the season.”

And then, Thurlby says we’ll see what we’ve got …

THURLBY … “You know, last year’s crop was 13.3 million, and was the shortest crop in the last 15 years. So, we’re definitely going to have more fruit this year and that’s, you know, good news for the grower, good news for the consumer. So, we’re excited about that portion of the story.”

And after last year, Thurlby says, there’s some pent-up demand …

THURLBY … “Everyone we’ve spoken to, whether we’re talking Korea, Taiwan, China, Viet Nam, Thailand, I mean everybody, the first thing when we sit down at the table with them is, we need cherries this year. We really, after last year, we really need cherries.”

Thurlby says consumers will likely see an overlap this year in availability of California and Northwest cherries which should mean a longer season for enjoying our delicious cherries.

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