LANSING, Mich. — The National Cherry Festival may have been cancelled due to COVID-19, but Michigan cherry farmers say, the crisis is actually helping them on a global scale.
The hot weather has actually moved the harvest up, at a time when tart cherries from Turkey typically flood the market and lower prices in Michigan.
Cherry farmer Ben LaCross says, the state is now accounting for half of the tart cherry crop in the U.S. He says, that’s helping to strengthen prices, which is good for Michigan farmers.
“Cherries are our agricultural heritage up here,” said LaCross. “It’s the most abundant crop that we grow and our region is known for cherries.”
LaCross is still pushing Washington to help level the playing field in the cherry industry to help them better compete with Turkey under normal circumstances.
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