As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose challenges in what always has been a high-stakes enterprise, the cherry harvest in Washington state is building toward a July peak. Growers and packinghouse operators are hoping for continued strong consumer demand.
Every year, it is a scramble to muster the tens of thousands of workers needed to harvest and process the cherries, but this year that task is made more difficult by a shortage of workers across some sectors of the US economy.
Now, growers are expected to use more guest workers from other countries to pick a significant portion of the crop. The vast majority of these workers have received free vaccinations offered in Washington, which has diminished the threat of outbreaks that could cripple an orchard’s harvest efforts.
Meanwhile, the pandemic’s continued toll in countries such as India, Malaysia and Australia makes it hard for exports to reach these nations. Melbourne, Australia, for example, where Washington cherry growers have carved out a market niche, was shut down in recent weeks by an outbreak that canceled commercial flights that would normally fly in the fruit.
Source: tri-cityherald.com
