Wisconsin growers produced between 5.85 and 5.9 million barrels of cranberries in 2016, according the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association. A U.S. Department of Agriculture estimate in August 2016 forecast production of around 5.2 million barrels for the year, but growers look to have exceeded this estimate.
Despite this bumper crop, the global cranberry supply is headed for a glut, thanks in part to Canada's growing cranberry industry. Late in 2016, the "Congressional Cranbery Caucus" asked the USDA to buy surplus cranberries to help growers with the oversupply, seeking a repeat of similar purchases in 2014. More broadly, this growing supply means a mix of opportunities and pressures for growers here in Wisconsin.
Tom Lochner, executive director of the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association, and Jim Reed, chief executive officer of CranGrow Cranberry Growers Cooperative of Warrens, discussed the abundant cranberry supply and how a surplus can drive down prices, but other challenges are much more local. He believes that as supply increases unless they create extra demand in foreign markets prices could tank.
Wisconsin currently exports 35 percent of its cranberries, compared to 5 or 10 percent a decade ago, Lochner said. Much of the growth has come from China, Reed said. He noted that nation consumes more than 9 percent of the world's cranberries today, compared to "next to nothing nine years ago."
source: wisfarmer.com
