YAKIMA, Wash. (RFD News) — The Northwest cherry harvest is wrapping up, and producers say this year’s crop is delivering strong quality.
Eric Patrick with the Washington State Fruit Commission says favorable growing conditions helped produce large, high-quality cherries that have been a hit with consumers.
“We’ve had a very strong quality season from day one, just really nice size cherries and a lot of newer varieties. Black pearls and varieties like that, that start off the season, we had great size and great consumer acceptance.”
Harvest totals are projected to reach about 16 to 17 million boxes, fewer than recent years, though Northwest cherries will remain available through mid-August.
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