Mexico Drops Ban On Washington Cherries

Washington sweet cherries will be shipped to Mexico in 1997, ending Mexico’s six-year ban on the crop because of pest and trade problems.

Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman said cherries from Washington, Oregon and California can cross the border again in midApril.

For Northwest orchardists, the deal means they can resume shipping to a market that was growing quickly before Mexico closed the border, claiming the United States was exporting pests. Those claims were reviewed by a North American Free Trade Agreement panel, which concluded in 1995 that U.S. inspections were sufficient to meet Mexico’s concerns.

In 1991, the last year the border was open, U.S. farmers shipped 21,100 20-pound boxes to Mexico. The nation produces about 8 million boxes of sweet cherries each year.

Ken Severn, president of the Northwest Cherry Growers in Yakima, said growers expect to resume shipments equal to 1991, and quickly reach double that level.

At $25 per box, the price cherries often fetch overseas, the Mexico shipments could fetch $528,000 to $1.06 million. , DataTimes