Moolenaar urges federal assistance to help save nation’s cherry industry

Current United States trade practices, an invasive pest and depressed prices are negatively impacting the nation’s cherry industry, according to U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI).

The American cherry industry “has experienced significant hardship,” wrote Rep. Moolenaar and his home-state colleague U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI) in an Oct. 2 letter sent to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. “We write today to request that processed sweet and tart cherries be included as specialty crops eligible for assistance under the Market Facilitation Program (MFP).”

The congressmen wrote that “harmful trade practices and depressed prices” have created the industry’s need for assistance under the MFP, particularly in Michigan, which the members called “the cherry capital of the United States.”

“Further negatively impacting the American cherry industry is the emergence of an invasive pest, the Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD),” wrote Rep. Moolenaar and his colleague. “The SWD landed in Michigan three years ago and has significantly increased the cost of production as prices have decreased.”

Phil Korsen, president of the Cherry Marketing Institute, applauded the efforts of Reps. Moolenaar and Bergman.

“I get up every morning worried about the impact of unfair trade on Michigan’s cherry industry and a new invasive pest,” Korsen said. “It has been a perfect storm this past year with SWD driving up the growers cost of production and unfair trade driving down the price. I appreciate the help and support USDA has provided and the leadership of Jack Bergman and John Moolenaar.”