The Northwest cranberry harvest is underway.
About a quarter of the crop has been picked in Oregon and about one-third of the crops in Washington and British Columbia.
Kim Patten, an extension professor at Washington State University, said there’s a global surplus this year.
“The independent market for processed fruit will be very low, similar to last year," he said. "That’s well below the cost of production and well below what growers need in order to maintain the farm or even continue payments.”
Patten said independent growers are now looking for new markets for their fruit. He said the warm weather made for a good growing season.
Copyright 2014 Oregon Public Broadcasting
