Washington's cherry industry, the nation's largest, encountered a challenging season last year despite harvesting over 63,000 tons more cherries than the previous year. The season's timing was disrupted by California's delayed cherry harvest due to cold weather, leading to an overlap with Washington's season and a flooded market.
Further complicating the situation was a mid-May heat wave that caused an early and mass ripening of cherries in Washington, resulting in millions of pounds of cherries reaching grocery shelves in a condensed timeframe. This oversupply led to plummeting prices and an estimated $100 million loss for the industry. Climate change exacerbates these natural disasters, posing additional challenges for growers.
The industry also faces consolidation among corporate grocery chains, rising costs, and declining prices, impacting the sustainability of smaller operations. Matthew Whiting, a professor at Washington State University, highlighted the increasing difficulties faced by growers, particularly those with smaller acreage, in maintaining profitability.
Source: seattletimes.com