Cantwell, Patty Murray and several state representatives sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture asking for the declaration.
SPOKANE, Wash. — U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA), along with several state representatives, sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack asking him to issue a secretarial disaster declaration for the 2023 fresh sweet cherry harvest.
According to Cantwell, several sweet cherry growers in central and eastern Washington faced substantial challenges during the 2023 season, including unusual weather patterns, unseasonably high temperatures, heavy rains and cold weather in California. These factors led to a shorter season for Washington growers and an oversupply of sweet cherries.
In a statement, Cantwell said fresh sweet cherries are “a top agricultural commodity with a typical value of over $1 billion.” A disaster declaration from the U.S. Department of Agriculture would effectively allow sweet cherry growers to access low-interest emergency loans to help bridge operations for the 2024 …
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