Helicopters herald impending arrival of cherry season

Nervous cherry growers could explain the helicopters flying over the Tri-Cities on Sunday and Monday.

The helicopters were likely under contract to area growers to fan rainwater off maturing fruit to prevent splitting, said Scott Keller, executive director for the Port of Benton. The port operates the Richland Airport, which saw unusually high helicopter activity Monday.

Area residents reported seeing helicopters over Richland, including south Richland, Horn Rapids and the Columbia River, among other places.

James Michael, promotion director for the Washington State Fruit Commission, said it’s still a little early for most growers to worry about rain damaging fruit on the tree.

But the earliest maturing cherries, including yellow varieties such as Rainier, could be entering the time frame where an ill-timed rain could cause costly splits.

“You may see some choppers out,” he said.

Cherry growers often call in helicopters to fan away water when the crop is nearly ripe. The wrong combination of rain, warm temperatures and low wind can lead cherries to absorb water pooled at the stem. The skin, already stretched thin at maturity, splits, spoiling the cherry for the lucrative fresh fruit market.

The Tri-Cities saw rain over the weekend, but it wasn’t followed by the warm temperatures associated with splits. Michael said the industry isn’t overly worried yet, but some of the early ripening varieties may have warranted helicopter sweeps.

Jeff Gordon of Pasco-based Gordon Brothers said he didn’t use helicopters on his 40 acres. It’s too early to worry.

“In a week, we’re going to be nervous,” he said.

On Friday, the Washington Fruit Commission projected a strong 2016 crop of about 19 million 20-pound boxes. That’s about average for Washington and comparable with 2015’s 19.3-million box haul.

Michael said the state’s cherry growers should be shipping early and ahead of 2015’s May 23 start date. The 2015 harvest had a value of $827 million.

It will take several weeks beyond May 23 to reach what the commission calls “promotable volumes.” Washington growers anticipate prices will be affected by the strength of the Oregon harvest and by a shortage in California. The Golden State’s 2016 harvest fell short because of warm winter conditions and excessive rain at both bloom and harvest.

The record for Washington is 23 million boxes in 2014, a bonanza that sparked widespread investment in processing equipment, including infrared scanners that detect even the most invisible blemishes.

Michael said splits need not be a death sentence for fresh cherries. Rising interest in cherries for their high antioxidant content has swelled the market for processed cherries, from dried fruit to desserts to other markets. Split and blemished fruit can be sold to processors.

Processed cherries bring in less money than fresh. Michael said cherry farmers are used to dealing with imperfect weather.

“Cherry growers are gamblers,” he said.

This story was originally published May 16, 2016 at 3:58 PM with the headline "Helicopters herald impending arrival of cherry season."