Cherry growers are looking ahead to this season, but weather will be a big variable this year.
Growers dealt with a lot of heat waves last year, which led to twice as much fruit at one time.
“That heat pushed that fruit forward and we had a week of it right over the 4th of July. You know, and that’s just a sustained issue that, as an industry, there’s not a lot we can do, but there are mitigation tactics that our scientific community is working on and, you know, I think it’s going to be critical moving forward no matter what,” said BJ Thurlby.
Thurlby tells aginfo.net that temperatures in the 90s are tolerable for cherries but it is a different story when the mercury hits triple digits.
Related Stories
Farm Credit’s Christy Seyfert joined us to discuss the ag industry’s push for swift Farm Bill action as it heads toward a House vote.
Bridge payments are helping, but many producers still face losses and tight margins. AEM’s Curt Blades joins us to discuss how the current farm economy is pressuring equipment demand.
Feed demand and premiums drive growth for the crop
Purdue economist Dr. Joana Colussi discussed the U.S. and Brazil’s reliance on imported fertilizers and their impact on global food security amid rising input costs.
RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper joined us to discuss the proposed E15 amendment in the Farm Bill, industry reaction to the legislation, and the outlook for year-round E15 sales.
Dry conditions have severely impacted key winter wheat states with persistent moisture deficits. As quality declines, analysts warn some crops may be lost despite upcoming rain.