• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • NEWS+OPINIONS
    • NEWS TO US
    • COLUMNS
      • APPARENT HORIZON
      • DEAR READER
      • Close
    • LONGFORM FEATURES
    • OPINIONS
    • EDITORIAL
    • Close
  • ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
    • FILM
    • MUSIC
    • COMEDY
    • PERFORMING ARTS
    • VISUAL ARTS
    • Close
  • DINING+DRINKING
    • EATS
    • SIPS
    • BOSTON BETTER BEER BUREAU
    • Close
  • LIFESTYLE
    • CANNABIS
      • TALKING JOINTS MEMO
      • Close
    • WELLNESS
    • GTFO
    • Close
  • STUFF TO DO
  • TICKETS
  • ABOUT US
    • ABOUT
    • MASTHEAD
    • ADVERTISE
    • Close
  • BECOME A MEMBER

Dig Bos

The Dig - Greater Boston's Alternative News Source

STATE WIRE: THE TRUMP EFFECT ON THE MASS CRANBERRY INDUSTRY

Written by LAURA ROSBROW-TELEM Posted November 13, 2019 Filed Under: News, NEWS+OPINIONS

 

If Thanksgiving cranberry sales don’t pick up, it could be a tough year for Massachusetts growers of the bitter fruit—and they’re placing much of the blame on the US trade war with China.

 

The Bay State’s cranberry output is the second-highest in the country, and the Ocean Spray brand is based here.

 

Brian Wick, executive director of the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association, explains that the Bay State crop so far is down about 4% from 2018, though there was an ample supply last year. But Wick says the loss of the Chinese market has been substantial since the tariffs went into effect in July 2018.

 

“Based on the USDA numbers nationally, we have lost a little over $50 million so far, since the tariffs have gone into place,” Wick says. “So, that’s a significant impact.”

 

Last year, China bought close to $55 million worth of cranberry products, making it the largest importer of US cranberries.

 

But export figures show in the first half of this year, cranberry sales to China were down about 45% compared to the first half of 2018, before the tariffs took effect. And the US cranberry market makes about 30% of its money from exports, according to Wick.

 

While the volume of the cranberry crop is down a bit, Wick says growers are seeing higher-quality berries this year. He credits the weather, with more predictable summer and fall weather patterns in the area.

 

“We’re just very happy with the color coming on so quickly,” says Wick. “Those nice, dark red berries that look great in your fresh fruit bags when you’re making your decisions for your cranberries for the holidays.”

 

Since the crop decreased and the quality improved, Wick expects that prices will increase this season, and expressed hope that will help support the 300 or so cranberry growers in Massachusetts.

 

Only about 5% of US cranberries are sold fresh, according to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center.

LAURA ROSBROW-TELEM
+ posts

Laura is a national producer for Public News Service. Before that, she was the news director at WRFI in Ithaca, NY, and prior to that worked as a print journalist in Israel. She has covered basically everything: technology, local government, health, social issues, peace and justice, cultural topics, etc. Her pieces have been published in the Atlantic, Business Insider, NPR News, NPR member station WSKG, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Next Web, the Jerusalem Post, Mic (formerly known as PolicyMic), the Times of Israel, Geektime, AlterNet, the Oakland Tribune, Walla! News, and the Jewish Exponent.

    This author does not have any more posts.

Filed Under: News, NEWS+OPINIONS Tagged With: Cape Cod, cranberries, Donald Trump, tariffs

WHAT’S NEW

The Legendary Past And Uncertain Future Of The Harvard Square Theatre

The Legendary Past And Uncertain Future Of The Harvard Square Theatre

State Wire: Funds Aim To Support Municipalities With Expanded Mail Voting

State Wire: Funds Aim To Support Municipalities With Expanded Mail Voting

Parks & Checks: Wasteful, Opaque Bookkeeping At Two City Of Boston Nonprofit Arms

Parks & Checks: Wasteful, Opaque Bookkeeping At Two City Of Boston Nonprofit Arms

Surf’s Upcycled: Meet The Bay State Surfers Conserving The Oceans Where They Ride

Surf’s Upcycled: Meet The Bay State Surfers Conserving The Oceans Where They Ride

State Wire: Public Supports Changes To High-Stakes Testing For Mass Students

State Wire: Public Supports Changes To High-Stakes Testing For Mass Students

State Wire: White Supremacist Gatherings, Incidents Hit All-Time High In New England

State Wire: White Supremacist Gatherings, Incidents Hit All-Time High In New England

Primary Sidebar

LOCAL EVENTS

AAN Wire


Most Popular

  • Does Massachusetts Underestimate Its Greenhouse Gas Emissions?
  • The Most Expensive Massachusetts City For Car Insurance (No, It’s Not Boston)
  • If You Find A Mini Felted Animal Around Boston, This Is Where It Came From
  • Photo Dispatch: “Ukraine Day” Rally In Boston’s Copley Square
  • As Prices Soar, Fossil Fuel Industry Looks After Its Interests On Beacon Hill

Footer

Social Buttons

DigBoston facebook DigBoston Twitter DigBoston Instagram

Masthead

About

Advertise

Customer Service

About Us

DigBoston is a one-stop nexus for everything worth doing or knowing in the Boston area. It's an alt-weekly, it's a website, it's an email blast, it's a twitter account, it's that cool party that you were at last night ... hey, you're reading it, so it's gotta be good. For advertising inquiries: sales@digboston.com To reach editorial (and for inquiries about internship opportunities): editorial@digboston.com