Washington’s Cherry Crop Outlook

Every cherry farmer wants to finish up the crop well to achieve what consumers want. Right color, flavor, and firmness. Independent Certified Crop Advisor Marc Suderman reminds farmers that even for a short-growing crop like cherries, you can make adjustments:

There needs to be a good supply of potassium available to make finishing color, firmness, size, oils, resins. These are compounds that give the fruit what we know as good quality fruit and a good eating experience.

But there's another big challenge. California's cherry crop season is continuing, which could mean an overlap in sales. Suderman says:

It's a tough market right now. It's of the utmost priority to produce quality this year, to have marketable fruit. Obviously, you can't manipulate the market in your favor, but you have every say in what kind of crop quality you deliver to that market.