State's cherry harvest won't be so rushed this season

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Last year, Washington farmers had about 45 days to sell a record 20 million boxes of cherries. This year, the harvest promises to be well spread out.

"We'll pick June 3 and finish August 20," said B.J. Thurlby, president of the Washington State Fruit Commission. "We won't have to put that much fruit in such a compact window."

The Yakima-based commission provides promo-
tional support for soft fruits
grown in the state. On Wed-nesday, Thurlby attended a meeting in Pasco where growers from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Utah converged.

Based on early estimates, Thurlby said the crop is down about 25 percent from last year and will yield about 15 million 20-pound boxes. Provided there's warm weather in the next few weeks, he's expecting the cherries to be large.

What remains to be seen, though, is how California's crop will affect the sale of Northwest cherries.

"The challenge this year will be the size of the California crop and how much comes in June," he said. "They are late down there."

As soon as they're picked, Northwest cherries will be put on store shelves and at secondary displays outside produce departments, Thurlby said. The latter move is expected to increase profits by 24 percent.

Cherries will be front and center during the all-important July 4 holiday, Thurlby said. To increase consumption of cherries, promotions are under way in 19 countries, and studies about the beneficial health effects of the fruit are being conducted at the University of Arizona and the University of California-Davis.

The first study examines the positive effects cherries have on men with prostate cancer. The second looks at how cherries help with inflammation.

* Erin Snelgrove can be reached at 509-577-7684 or esnelgrove@yakimaherald.com.