Strong prices hold for cherries as demand stays high.
By Tom Peterson
Prices for cherries were fairly strong as local growers saw higher demand as Washington cherries were hit with a late freeze in the Tri Cities, according to Ashley Thompson, Oregon State University extension agent.
The fruit tree horticulturist said growers typically have to earn 48 cents a pound on their harvest to break even, but that number pushed toward 50 cents this year with added costs to combat COVID-19.
Fruit Tree Horticulturist Dr. Ashley Thompson said cherry prices were above break even this year. The Oregon State University Extension Agent said demand was bolstered when Washington cherries were greatly reduced by a late freeze.
On average, she said the growers she spoke with received between 58 cents and 60 cents a pound during the harvest this year.
“The crop load was relatively average,” she said, noting early varieties of sweet cherries such as Early Robin and Tieton were damaged by rains in June.
The cherries, when wet by rain, can take water in where the stem enters the cherry - “the bowl”. Once the water enters the fruit, it expands, cracks and can’t be marketed.
“The defective fruit is taken out of the pool,” she said. “Some saw problems with that.”
Meanwhile, the Tri Cities area of Kennewick, Pasco and Richmond Washington had a late freeze, “which reduced the crop significantly.”
That loss of fruit created greater demand for cherries from Wasco County.
Most orchardists are done with the cherry harvest as some 10,000 acres of fruit trees have been picked in Wasco County.
Some payouts on crops are yet to come as cherries exported or sold to grocery stores are some 60 to 90 days out.
“Folks are relatively happy,” Thompson said. “We’re Pretty much done here. There are maybe some folks in Hood River County still picking. We are moving onto pears.”
