SOURCE: David Severn, Washington State Fruit Commission Though early season estimates for the 2006 Pacific Northwest sweet cherry crop show potential for a record 14.1 million boxes, industry officials say the crop looks excellent in quality and are optimistic for a strong season. In 2005, Northwest growers produced a record crop of 117,000 tons, equivalent to 11.7 million 20-pound boxes, but the industry could not keep up with demand by retailers, said B.J. Thurlby, president of the Washington State Fruit Commission and Northwest Cherry Growers. He noted that demand outpaced supply by 25 percent. Tree sales from nurseries in California, […]