In Washington, a cherry grower emphasises the importance of crop insurance for his company and for the entire cherry industry. He defines the life of a grower as betting your entire investment on production, comparing the process to gambling in Las Vegas. The main challenge is the uncertainty of success or failure until the closing payments from the pool, which can take almost a year from the start of the cherry investment.
Jennifer Wiggs, the grower, points out that, although most years bring at least a break-even, there are occasionally exceptional years that make it possible to finance the following year or invest in improvements. However, there is also the risk of losing everything due to adverse weather events. Cherries, in particular, are sensitive to weather conditions before harvest, requiring constant monitoring of weather forecasts.
She advises his colleagues to consider crop insurance as a lifesaver. Shee recounts his own initial experience of scepticism towards insurance, but reveals that it became compulsory when they acquired a larger orchard with an agricultural loan. The turning point came when, hit by rainstorms, they suffered significant losses. The agent explained the value of insurance, allowing the farmer to face the challenges with peace of mind.
The earnings guarantee system is based on the actual earnings history of the cultivated blocks. The grower emphasises the adaptability of the policies, which are self-adjusting considering ups and downs. The coverage percentage chosen affects premiums, but offers financial security. The insurance also facilitates access to US Department of Agriculture disaster relief programmes by simplifying the application process.
In conclusion, Jennifer Wiggs encourages his colleagues to explore options with specialised cherry agents, to review coverage choices annually and to consider insurance as a way to sleep soundly.
Read the full article: Good Fruit Grower
Images: Jennifer Wiggs/Good Fruit Grower
20 Jun 2024
"One of the problems that the PDO has to face every year is the marketing of normal cherries from which the stalk is removed to pass them off as picota cherries,' says Fátima López-Santamaría, PDO Cereza del Jerte technician, 'using the PDO trademark illegally.
03 Mar 2025
Interview with Antonio Walker, president of the National Agricultural Society, Chile: 'I encourage farmers to diversify, that is always a guarantee. If you only plant one species, the risk is greater."
05 Feb 2026
A research study from the University of Chile investigates how controlled atmosphere storage improves the shelf life of ‘Bing’ and ‘Lapins’ sweet cherries. Results show significant postharvest quality improvements under cold storage and market simulation conditions.
05 Feb 2026
With precision farming, it's now possible to prevent fruit cracking by optimizing irrigation, monitoring and data collection. Sensors, drones and AI support European growers in improving yield and fruit quality in cherries, grapes, citrus and pomegranates.
