SPOKANE, Wash. — U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA), along with several state representatives, sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack asking him to issue a secretarial disaster declaration for the 2023 fresh sweet cherry harvest.
According to Cantwell, several sweet cherry growers in central and eastern Washington faced substantial challenges during the 2023 season, including unusual weather patterns, unseasonably high temperatures, heavy rains and cold weather in California. These factors led to a shorter season for Washington growers and an oversupply of sweet cherries.
In a statement, Cantwell said fresh sweet cherries are "a top agricultural commodity with a typical value of over $1 billion." A disaster declaration from the U.S. Department of Agriculture would effectively allow sweet cherry growers to access low-interest emergency loans to help bridge operations for the 2024 season.
Cantwell said Gov. Jay Inslee requested a disaster designation and is awaiting approval from the secretary of agriculture.
"The 2023 season has harmed sweet cherry growers in Washington state and it has negatively impacted our state’s agricultural economy," Cantwell said in her letter to Vilsack. "On behalf of the growers in the state of Washington, we request an expedited review and subsequent USDA Secretarial Disaster Designation for the Central and Eastern Washington counties so growers can access critical federal assistance and continue to grow and harvest sweet cherries in the upcoming 2024 season."
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