Wisconsin’s role as the nation's leading cranberry producing state will continue in 2019.
According to projections released recently by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Wisconsin growers will harvest an estimated 5.6 million barrels of fruit this fall. The forecast marks the 25th year that Wisconsin has led the nation in cranberry production.
Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association director Tom Lochner says farmers he's talked to say while the crop is slightly above last year's production, they're reporting an average year..
"...From what I heard from them is the crop is a couple of weeks behind due to the late start this spring. A lot of rain then a lack of really warm weather. We could use warm weather now to bring some sizing on the fruit. Hopefully we'll get between now and when we start harvest..."
The harvest projection is part of the approximately 9 million barrels of cranberries expected nationwide, up one percent from 2018.
The U.S. cranberry industry overall has faced a surplus in recent years, caused by a number of factors, including strong growing conditions, new cranberry acreage and technological advances.
Cranberries are grown on 21,000 acres across 20 counties in central and northern Wisconsin.
