The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association is forecasting a slightly higher yield this year, compared with 2020, the association leadership noted at the recent Cranberry Marketing Committee meeting.
Massachusetts is the founder of cranberry cultivation, initiated on Cape Cod in 1816 and currently stands as the second largest cranberry growing region in the country. The Commonwealth produces approximately 23 percent of the annual crop in the United States. Cranberries are the largest agricultural food commodity produced in Massachusetts, with an annual crop value of $60.2 million.
For Massachusetts, CMC is forecasting a crop of 1.9 million barrels (each barrel equals 100 pounds), up 5 percent from the Commonwealth’s 2020 harvest. Overall, CMC is anticipates the national crop to yield about 8.1 million barrels, also an increase of 5 percent over last season.
“Similar to last year, our bogs are tracking to deliver a solid crop yield for Massachusetts growers, what I would consider an average crop for our region based on past performance,” said CCCGA Executive Director Brian Wick.
“Our region experienced a significant drought last year and some growers witnessed carryover negative effects from that situation that impacted the perennial vines this spring,” Wick added. “The growing season started slowly with a cold spring, which made our growers spend many nights protecting for frost impacts, but June brought favorable weather for pollination, allowing our managed and native bees to do their work. The bloom period appeared longer than usual, possibly due to a late spring, resulting in a wet tail end of bloom. The continuous rain throughout much of the summer has had an impact on our growing region. In an age of weather extremes, our growers have persistently worked to keep the bogs dry, quite a change from last year’s drought. It remains to be seen if the prolonged rain and wet conditions will impact fruit quality this fall”, continued Wick.
The Growers’ Association represents more than 300 cranberry growers in Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and Nantucket.
For more information about Massachusetts cranberries visit Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association online at cranberries.org or follow the Association on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
