The northwest US cherry industry has bounced back to winning ways in 2007, after a tough time last year.
“As much as a struggle last year was, this year has been that good for the cherry industry,” said Rainier’s director of sales Randy Abhold. “It has easily been a record volume year for the west coast of the US and demand for the fruit was incredible. Size and quality were as good as we have ever seen and the domestic and export markets have been excellent. We have had a very good season in the UK.”
The cherry production areas in Washington State are low-risk for untimely rainfall, This, combined with the abundance of slow-release water from the Columbia mountains and the at-times dramatic day-night temperature differentials, allows growers to pick some of the cleanest fruit it is possible to harvest anywhere in the world.
Huge levels of planting have been undertaken in Washington State in the last few years as growers both switch into cherries from other, less lucrative crops, and increase their existing cherry acreage. “There is potential for overplanting, but obviously it depends on the year,” said Abhold. “If you can grow the best product you possibly can, the potential to sell it is there. Cherries are still not a 12-month commodity and I believe there is room for us to grow at least 20 per cent from here.
“There is still another six-week window to fill if we can extend our production past mid-August and the higher elevation plantings are key to that. We have cherry trees at the base of every mountain round here,” he said.
