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Michigan tart-cherry growers say they’re preparing to let up to a quarter of this year’s bumper crop rot on the ground under a federal marketing order.
The federal order will divert 42 percent of the nation’s approximately 300 million-pound tart-cherry harvest from the primary domestic market this year.
Michigan grows most of the nation’s tart cherries. New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin are the other major producing states. Tart cherries — also called sour, red or pie cherries — are best known as ingredients in desserts and drinks. Nearly all tart cherries are frozen, canned or dried.
Growers say they expect to receive about 20 cents a pound this year, down from about 40 cents a pound last year.
