WQOW TV: Eau Claire, WI NEWS18 News, Weather, and SportsCranberry harvests in Wis., US meet expectations

Cranberry harvests in Wis., US meet expectations

Associated Press - November 19, 2009 6:15 AM ET

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (AP) - Cranberry harvests in Wisconsin and elsewhere are meeting expectations, meaning your cranberry sauce will cost about the same this Thanksgiving as it did last year.

Wisconsin is the nation's leading cranberry producer. It grows nearly 60 percent of America's crop.

Final harvest numbers aren't available, but an industry spokesman says the state should meet its summer forecast of 400 million pounds.

That's a decrease of about 10 percent since 2008. But last year was a record, in part because the weather cooperated perfectly.

Massachusetts is second in the U.S. with about 25 percent of the harvest. Cooler temperatures there lowered its yield somewhat.

But New Jersey, Oregon and Washington appear to be covering the slack. Those states round out the nation's top five.

On the Net:

Cranberry Marketing Committee: http://www.uscranberries.com/

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