Help is on the way for San Joaquin County’s beleaguered cherry growers.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will buy up to $3 million of dried sweet cherries, U.S. Rep. Josh Harder, D-Tracy, announced Thursday. The move follows the county’s filing of a disaster declaration last week due to expectations of a poor cherry harvest.
“When crops fail, it’s not just a bad season, it’s an existential threat to local families and our entire economy,” Harder said in a statement. “This $3 million in emergency support will help our cherry farmers and processors weather the storm.”
County Agricultural Commissioner Kamal Bagri requested a “Cherry Disaster Declaration” from the state Office of Emergency Services after it was determined that the crop would come in catastrophically short. She’s predicting a 43.41% decrease of the harvest. For most growers, the harvest began earlier this month.
Cherries are the fourth most valuable crop in San Joaquin County, generating nearly $300 million annually. Harder said agriculture accounts for 1 out of 3 jobs in the region.
James Chinchiolo, first vice president of the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau Federation, said the county’s soil, nourished by river water, and the climate of warm days followed by cool evenings are ideal for cherries. But weather during the past year has conspired against growers.
Blistering summer heat, which produced 41 days with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees, diminished the crop. And strong winds hindered the ability of bees to pollinate the blossoms.
“We are seeing heat stress from last year,” Chinchiolo said earlier this month. “And also during the bloom, there was quite a bit of wind.”
Harder said he plans to expedite a federal disaster declaration from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. He said he wants to “unlock the full range of resources our growers need not just to survive this season, but to come back stronger.”
In addition to the planned USDA purchase, there is another bit of good news for growers, Chinchiolo said. Prices for cherries, the quality of which is expected to be good this year, are higher for those lucky enough to have a decent crop.