Washington DC –Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), along with Representatives Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D, WA-03), Dan Newhouse (R, WA-04), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R, WA-05), Derek Kilmer (D, WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07), Kim Schrier (D, WA-08), Adam Smith (D, WA-09), and Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, urging him to expedite and issue a Secretarial Disaster Designation for the 2023 fresh sweet cherry harvest.
Sweet cherry growers in Central and Eastern Washington faced devastating challenges throughout the 2023 season. Unusual weather patterns, including unseasonably high temperatures in the State of Washington, combined withheavy rains and cold weather in California, led to a shorter season for Washington growers and an oversupply of sweet cherries. Many growers in Washington state were forced to leave crops unharvested and experienced significant economic losses.
“Pacific Northwest growers suffered significant economic losses and were forced to leave as much as 35 percent of the crop unharvested due to this weather-driven disaster. We understand data provided to USDA indicates growers experienced losses of more than 50 percent,” los miembros escribieron en la carta.
Fresh sweet cherries are a top agricultural commodity with a typical value of over $1 billion. A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretarial Disaster Designation will allow sweet cherry growers to access low interest emergency loans to help bridge operations into the 2024 season. Governor Inslee requested a Secretarial Disaster Designation and currently, the decision to issue the designation is with USDA Farm Service Agency officials and awaiting the Secretary of Agriculture’s approval.
In August 2023, Murray hosted a mesa redonda and heard from agricultural representatives and producers about their priorities for the Farm Bill, the federal support they need, and the challenges they are facing, especially as climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.
El texto completo de la carta está a continuación y disponible. AQUÍ.
Estimado Secretario Vilsack,
We write to respectfully urge you to approve the Secretarial Disaster Designation requested on November 13, 2023, by Washington Governor Jay Inslee for sweet cherry production in the state of Washington. Fresh sweet cherries are a top agricultural commodity in Washington with a value over $1 billion. The weather-driven economic loss from the 2023 sweet cherry season impacts Washington state’s economy and has left growers in need of federal assistance to continue operations into the 2024 season.
A cold spring with an abrupt transition to unseasonable, sustained temperatures of 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher in early April resulted in a compressed bloom period in the Pacific Northwest, while heavy rains and cold weather delayed California’s season. This meant that instead of the sweet cherry harvest beginning in California and ending in the state of Washington, sweet cherries were harvested at the same time throughout the Pacific Northwest and California. A normal west coast cherry harvest spans 120 days. In 2023, 70 percent of the crop matured in 30 days between June 20 and July 20. Pacific Northwest growers suffered significant economic losses and were forced to leave as much as 35 percent of the crop unharvested due to this weather-driven disaster. We understand data provided to USDA indicates growers experienced losses of more than 50 percent.
The 2023 season has harmed sweet cherry growers in Washington state and it has negatively impacted our state’s agricultural economy. On behalf of the growers in the state of Washington, we request an expedited review and subsequent USDA Secretarial Disaster Designation for the Central and Eastern Washington counties so growers can access critical federal assistance and continue to grow and harvest sweet cherries in the upcoming 2024 season.
Gracias de antemano por su pronta atención a este asunto.
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