Cherry Growers Not Seeing The Prices They Want, Need

Pacific Northwest cherry growers are in the middle of harvest, but early market signals suggest another difficult season for profitability. Oregon State University economist Tim Delbridge said after recent years brought prices that, in some cases, fell below the cost of harvesting cherries, growers entered 2026 hoping for a rebound.

“This year, the pricing data that we're seeing, the prices that people are expecting are maybe not as high as they had hoped,” he said.

Delbridge noted not only have the prices growers receive not improved, but production costs remain elevated. He added some acreage outside of The Dalles has been left unmanaged because of financial pressures. The harvest is running about two weeks earlier than normal, which might be negatively impacting retailers.

While prices are not great, Delbridge remains optimistic.

"If retailers are going to want that fruit in July, the 4th of July holiday and thereafter, and we're kind of now on the back end of peak volume, hopefully we'll get some higher prices at the end of the season to salvage it,” Delbridge said.

One notable trend, Delbridge pointed out, is the widening gap between what consumers pay and what growers receive. In June, advertised retail prices were more than $2 per pound higher than shipping point prices, one of the largest spreads seen in the past five years.

“It's tough year after year now, a couple of years in a row, where we have had some rough prices and it's going to be that," Delbridge said. "We're going to hit the time where tough decisions have to be made. And there's not a lot to say.”

Final yields and grower returns won't be known for several months, but the early outlook suggests the strong season many cherry growers needed to restore profitability has yet to materialize.