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25% of cranberries withheld from market

Cranberry farmers are holding back some of their production this year to help counter oversupplies.

“Folks that planted three to five years ago are now seeing bigger and bigger returns as their crop becomes mature.”

Karen Cahill with the Cranberry Marketing Committee tells Brownfield supplies have outgrown demand recently which led them to withhold a portion of the crop.  “Our committee just voted to have volume regulations for the last two years.  We had a handler withhold in 2017 and a producer allotment in 2018.”

A final rule from USDA allows growers to sell only 75 percent of their crop based on historical data.  The rest can be donated to charities, used to expand foreign markets or used as fertilizer.

Cahill says cranberries have also been impacted by retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. but they won’t know the full expect of damages for a few more months.  She says they continue to put a significant focus on developing international markets.

Cahill says 2018 production is estimated at more than nine million barrels.

More than 60 percent of cranberries in the U.S. come from Wisconsin, followed by Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington.

AUDIO: Brownfield interview with Karen Cahill