USDA estimates for 2009 cherry crop

Editor’s note: This article is from the archives of the MSU Crop Advisory Team Alerts. Check the label of any pesticide referenced to ensure your use is included.

TheUSDA released the estimates of the cherry crop last Thursday, June 18. The USDA no longer breaks out the crop estimates by location in the state, but rather only provides one estimate for Michigan. The 2009 tart cherry crop estimate is 220 million pounds for Michigan. The crop estimates were also released for the following states: New York (8.4), Oregon (2.7), Pennsylvania (3.7), Utah (23), Washington (17.5) and Wisconsin (8.3). The total U.S. crop estimate is 283.6 million pounds of tart cherry. The tart cherry crop is up 32 percent from the 2008 crop and up 12 percent from the 2007 crop.

The Cherry Industry Administrative Board (CIAB) allocates the 220 million pounds in Michigan to the three main tart cherry growing regions. They allocated 150 million pounds for northwest Michigan, 56 million pounds for west central, and 14 million pounds for southwest. The MFFPA group numbers were similar, and they estimate 160 million pounds will come from northwest Michigan, 60 million pounds from west central, and 14.3 million pounds from southwest.

Tart cherries: Total production by state and United States, 2007-2008 and forecasted 2009Cherries

The USDA sweet cherry crop was also released on Thursday, June 18. They estimate that Michigan will produce 28,000 tons, which is up 6 percent from 2008. The whole U.S. sweet cherry crop is estimated at 374,500 tons. Washington is estimated to produce 200,000 tons, which is up 100 percent from 2008, and 27 percent more than the 2007 crop. Many new plantings have come into bearing this season. California production is estimated at 75,000 tons. Oregon production is forecast at 65,000 tons. Idaho is expecting a sweet cherry crop of 4,000 tons, and New York production is forecast at 1,100 tons. Utah production is expected to total 1.4 tons. Overall, the sweet cherry crop in the U.S. is up 52 percent.

Sweet cherries: Total production by state and United States, 2007-2008 and forecasted 2009Cherries
1/ Forecast carried forward from "Crop Production" released June 10, 2009.
2/ The first estimate for 2009 sweet cherries in MT will be published in the January 2010 "Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts 2009 Preliminary Summary."

Did you find this article useful?