Washington growers expect revord harvest this year
As cherry pickers from California make their way north into Washington territory, growers from across the state must prepare for the gamblers’ market, balancing early profits with the possibility of crop-ruining weather conditions.
“It’s a big one. It may be a record; we’ll see,” said Steve Lutz, senior strategist for CMI Orchards, Wenatchee. The company sells fruit for growers throughout the region, including Quincy and Ephrata.
Crop estimates for 2017 range between 22 and 23 million 20-pound boxes. The Washington record is 23.2 million, set in 2014.
When it comes to sweet cherries, Washington is king. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Washington exported $304 million in cherries in 2016, a 10.9 increase from 2015.
Washington state is expected to yield 60,000 more tons of cherries compared to its 195,000 tons in 2016. However, recent increases in yields won’t keep up forever. In the past two or three years, the planting has subsided and many growers have shifted to planting apple trees instead, according to Colbert.
Unlike apples or pears, cherries are heavily influenced by weather patterns around bloom time which can prove problematic for growers, he added. This year, the conditions are right for a “heavy set” yield. Even so, a sudden downpour could turn profits from sweet to sour.
“I can grow sweet cherries all year long and could wait to pick the day it rains, and it would ruin the entire crop,” said Colbert.
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