Big jets are the cornerstone of the big business of Washington cherries. The Port of Seattle said 152 cargo flights will focus on carrying one of Washington state’s most important crops across the Pacific.
This year, $68 million of cherries are expected to fly out of SEA. Cherries are the largest agricultural commodity shipped out of the airport. At its peak, SEA will see nearly three times the normal number of cargo aircraft just to get cherries into stores in Asia. Seventy-three percent of U.S. sweet cherries are produced in the Northwest, and 20,000 people are employed in the harvesting of Northwest cherries, with an economic impact of $899 million.
Cherries from the Pacific Northwest launched in India
The Northwest Cherry Growers (NWCG), a trade association based in the state of Washington in the U.S.A. have launched their promotion campaign in India to introduce this summer's crop of this delightful fruit to the discerning health-conscious Indian consumers.
Ron Verdonk, Minister-Counselor for Agricultural Affairs, Embassy of the United States of America, officially launched the Northwest Cherries campaign. Speaking on the occasion Verdonk said: "Food is a very important part of India -US trade, and I am really pleased that freshly-picked cherries from our Pacific Northwest are now added to the basket. I am confident that Indian consumers will love the quality and taste of these cherries that are considered amongst the best in the world."
The US is one of world's largest producers and exporters of sweet cherries. Keith Hu, NWCG Director of International Operations,remarked that the cherries from the US Pacific Northwest are grown in the states of Washington, Oregon Idaho, Utah and Montana, and consumers worldwide relish their sweet flavour, bigger size and superior quality. "I am delighted to see NW cherries here in India."
Source: katu.com