State Cherry Harvest Expected To Shrink

Washington sweet cherry harvest will be down 11 percent this year, though orchardists in Oregon expect a bigger-than-usual crop, a trade group predicted Monday.

Harvest should begin in June, with Washington growers expected to harvest 41,700 tons, compared with 46,735 tons in 1994, said the Northwest Cherry Growers association in Yakima.

Oregon growers will harvest an estimated 11,300 tons, up from 7,185 tons last year.

The total Pacific Northwest harvest is predicted to be 54,360, slightly lower than the 55,284 tons produced last year.

About 2,500 Northwest orchardists account for 70 percent of the nation’s sweet cherry production.