of Washington State UniversityA Western Washington raspberry grower plans to appeal fines he recently received from the state Department of Ecology.

Washington’s red raspberry harvest was disappointing this season, hitting 55.5 million pounds, down about 6% from the previous year.

“We thought that it looked good coming out of winter but several factors crimped the total production,” said Henry Bierlink, executive director of the Washington Red Raspberry Commission.

The crop size pales in comparison to 2016-2020, when the state’s red raspberry harvest averaged 70 million pounds.

Based on a 2 cent per pound assessment rate, the commission’s budget is set to shrink to $1.11 million in 2025, down from $1.18 million in 2024.

Pricing similar

Nearly all of Washington’s harvest is frozen, and pricing was similar to last season, Bierlink said. In 2023, raspberries had a price of $1.13 per pound, according to the USDA.

That’s a steep dropoff in price from 2021 and 2022.

In those seasons, the crop was less than 50 million pounds due to the 2021 heat dome. Record temperatures damaged berries that season and stunted primocanes for the next year.

Acreage steady

Acreage remains steady, Bierlink said, in an email. The USDA listed Washington’s raspberry acreage at 9,500 in 2023.

“I don’t expect much if any falloff. Farm numbers keep going down though as the smaller growers are having a harder time keeping up with the evolving business,” Bierlink said.

The state’s red raspberries have nearly disappeared outside Whatcom County, however, which dominated production with almost 54.9 million pounds this season.

Opportunities, challenges

New genetics from public and private breeding programs could lead to better production in the future.

Major challenges are low-priced imports, loss over the overtime exemption for labor and water rights adjudication in growing areas.

“Lots of uncertainty, but farming seldom has much certainty,” Bierlink said.

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