Unseasonable spring rain has walloped San Joaquin County’s cherry harvest, leaving orchards dotted with split, rotting fruit and forcing growers to gamble on whether it is even worth picking. Farmers and county officials say the damage is big enough that it will not stop at the orchard gate, with packinghouses, seasonal crews and the small businesses that count on the spring run all bracing for a hit.
Early industry estimates put crop losses at roughly 30% across the county, and local officials say they may seek a disaster declaration to unlock federal aid. As reported by KCRA, that figure is still preliminary and will be refined once formal damage surveys are completed.
Growers Describe Split Fruit And Mold Risk
Growers say the science is simple and brutal. Cherries soak up the rain, swell, then split open. Once that skin is broken, rot and mold can move in fast, turning good fruit into seconds or outright waste. One grower told KCRA that “the mold that follows after is really kind of the kiss of death” for damaged cherries.
County Could Seek Disaster Aid
San Joaquin County Agricultural Commissioner Kamal Bagri told Stocktonia she will consider filing a cherry disaster declaration if loss reports confirm widespread damage. The county has gone that route before. After last year’s poor harvest, the USDA stepped in with a roughly $3 million purchase of seconds to help steady markets, according to CBS Sacramento.
Scale Of The Crop And Local Fallout
Cherries are a high-value crop in San Joaquin County, and the stakes are not small. The county’s 2024 crop report lists cherries at about $240 million in value. Losses anywhere near current estimates would ripple through orchards, packinghouses and local vendors. The county agricultural office notes that cherries rank among the region’s top commodities and are tightly tied to seasonal labor and processing capacity, according to the San Joaquin County Ag Commissioner.
What Comes Next For Growers
Growers say a brief stretch of dry weather could still save some fruit in blocks that have not yet split, but the seasonal outlook is not exactly relaxing. Forecasts that lean toward above-normal temperatures for late spring and early summer could compress the harvest and complicate labor, according to state hydroclimate reporting…