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# WA cherry growers eligible for loans after 2023 weather woes
- URL: https://www.cascadepbs.org/articles/briefs/2024/03/wa-cherry-growers-eligible-loans-after-2023-weather-woes/
- Published: 2024-03-20T14:48:56.000Z
- Updated: 2024-03-20T14:48:56.000Z
- Author: Mai Hoang
- Tags: Business, #brief, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2025-04-25 08:30, #Import 2025-05-09 14:33

Washington sweet-cherry growers are now eligible for up to $500,000 in federal emergency loans from the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Farm Service Agency after U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack issued a [formal disaster declaration](https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/usda%5Fdisaster%5Fdeclaration%5Falert.pdf?ref=cascadepbs.org) for the 2023 cherry harvest.

Washington’s Congressional delegation wrote [to Vilsack in February](https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/02022024%5Fcherry%5Fdisaster%5Fdeclaration%5Fletter.pdf?ref=cascadepbs.org) urging him to issue the declaration after weather caused major losses for growers, who needed help continuing operations in 2024.

Last year, a cold spring that transitioned abruptly to unseasonably high temperatures led to a shortened cherry season, when numerous cherries ripened at once.

Meanwhile, California’s cherry season was delayed due to cold and rainy conditions. As a result, cherries from both states were harvested simultaneously, leading to an oversupply — about 70% of the Western U.S. crop matured between June 20 and July 20\. Normally, the season lasts for 120 days, starting in California and ending in upper-elevation areas of Washington state and the Pacific Northwest.

When prices consequently dropped, Washington growers opted not to pick millions of boxes of cherries, roughly 35% of the state’s crop.

Growers have until Nov. 14 to apply for emergency loans, which can be used for various recovery needs, including replacing equipment or other essential items, reorganizing a farming operation or refinancing debt.

Washington cherry growers have dealt with adverse weather conditions in consecutive seasons. In 2021, sustained triple-digit temperatures in late June damaged ripening fruit. In 2022, a cold and wet spring [stunted their development](https://crosscut.com/news/2022/08/why-wa-cherries-are-so-expensive-summer?ref=cascadepbs.org), leading to what ended up being the [smallest crop of Northwest sweet cherries](https://crosscut.com/news/2022/12/wa-farmers-search-silver-linings-after-tough-year-crops?ref=cascadepbs.org) in nearly a decade.