Weather Stories

Odd Spring Leaves Michigan's Cherry & Apple Crops in Bad Shape

Posted: 6:36 PM Jun 8, 2012
Reporter: Associated Press

Industry groups say early predictions of a bad year for fruit crops in Michigan's northwestern Lower Peninsula are coming true.
The Michigan Frozen Food Packers Association tells the Traverse City Record-Eagle (http://bit.ly/Km7sur) the region's tart cherry growers expect to process about 2 million pounds this year. That's a tiny fraction of the amount in more typical seasons. The total was 92.5 million pounds in 2011.
Suttons Bay cherry farmer Don Gregory said he expects to harvest less than 1 percent of his average crop, if anything.
An unusual warm-up in March followed by sub-freezing temperatures in April has devastated many of Michigan's orchard crops.
The food packers group says apple production in northwestern Michigan will total about 2.5 million bushels, a drop-off of more than 90 percent from last year.