Cherry harvest is in full swing with an abundant crop.
The National Ag Statistics Service reports this is the largest sweet cherry crop since 2017, with a 4% increase over last year, and Washington state is leading the gains.
According to Lance Honig, “They’re expecting about a 29% increase this season. Weather has been really good for the crop there, and so great news from both Washington and the national perspective.”
Oregon is also seeing a slight increase in production, balancing out a 38% smaller crop in California.
On the tart cherry side, Michigan remains the nation’s largest producer despite a sharp decline in output.
“It’s a really tough season for the fact that they’re looking at about a 41% drop in tart cherry production this year due to poor weather. It’s a pretty big drop. In fact, nationally, that means we’re only looking at 139 million pounds this year. That’s more than one-third below last season’s crop. It will be the smallest crop since 2020, and the second smallest crop since that disastrous year of 2012, when Michigan lost almost all their chairs.”
Utah, the only other tart cherry reporting state, also reports a year-over-year decrease in production.
