Throughout 2023, cherry growers in the state of Washington faced significant challenges due to adverse weather conditions. However, a positive breakthrough came on March 19 when the US Department of Agriculture approved Governor Jay Inslee's request for a federal disaster declaration.
This decision allows growers from 22 counties in Washington and six counties in Oregon to access emergency loans of up to $500,000 each. The request was supported by a bipartisan letter sent by all 12 members of Washington's congressional delegation to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on February 1.
Senator Maria Cantwell emphasized the importance of this declaration in supporting cherry growers, highlighting significant losses suffered in the previous year due to extreme weather conditions. According to the USDA, emergency loans can be used for a variety of purposes, including production costs and debt refinancing, provided that counties experience at least a 30% reduction in yields or prices.
Representative Kim Schrier expressed solidarity with growers, stating that their challenges were immense and many suffered losses exceeding 50%. Representative Dan Newhouse, on the other hand, described the declaration as a step in the right direction to address the situation.
In the letter sent to Vilsack, legislators explained how the rapid transition from a cold spring to a hot April negatively impacted the sweet cherry crop on the West Coast, leading to the loss of approximately 35% of the crop in the northwest region.
Finally, Senator Patty Murray expressed gratitude to the Biden administration for their ongoing support of Washington growers. The primary counties affected by the disaster declaration include Adams, Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Franklin, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Okanogan, Walla Walla, and Yakima, along with numerous other adjacent counties in Washington and Oregon.
Read the full article: The Spokesman
Image: The Spokesman
08 Dec 2025
In Northern Michigan, American kestrels help cherry growers by scaring off fruit-eating birds. This reduces crop contamination and improves food safety. A low-cost, eco-friendly solution that supports sustainable agriculture and protects harvests.
07 Dec 2023
The approach shows excellent performance in cherry recognition. It is remarkable that the training time of Swin Transformer and MLP was only 78.43 seconds (when in the absence of MLP the training time was 551.24 seconds) and that their recognition accuracy peaked at 98.5%.
10 Apr 2026
The first Spanish greenhouse cherries reach the European market with very limited volumes and prices up to €80/kg. Strong demand from the Netherlands, Scandinavia and the UK, while the open-field season may start later than usual, impacting exports.
10 Apr 2026
A study on 22 sweet cherry cultivars in Zaragoza examines how warmer winters affect dormancy and flowering. Declining winter chill alters phenology and threatens yield, varietal adaptation and long-term sustainability in Mediterranean growing regions.
