Washington Cherries in Yakima Valley Hit by Heavy Rains
Heavy rains during a 10-day stint have hit Washington's Yakima Valley creating quite a few challenges for cherry growers.
One grower in the region tells AndNowUKnow that they will see some effect of the heavy rains in the grower's cherry crop and are mostly seeing damage on the cherries that will be harvested on the front end of the season. Varieties such as Chelans are seeing some issues with splitting. The grower will still be harvesting these early blocks but it will most likely cut down on some of the volume they are able to go to market with at the start of the harvest.Other growers tell us that at this time they are still assessing the damage and do not have a firm handle on how bad it is. Early maturing varieties have been more impacted than the later varieties. The percent of damage varies by growing region so growers are hesitant to give a number by variety since it depends on where the orchards are located. Some of the early varieties are just fine if they were in places that didn't receive the same amount of rain.
The real impact won't be seen until cherries hit the packing line. Growers will have a slow start to the season and June volume will be lighter than originally anticipated especially with California finishing earlier than anticipated.
However, growers tell us, its important to note that they will still have a good crop of cherries with nice fruit size once they get into the heart of the season. July will be the peak month for cherry promotions.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for updates on the weather impact in the Yakima Valley.
