Wisconsin cranberry growers are expecting to harvest 4.9 million barrels of cranberries this year, based on a recent USDA National Agriculture Statistic Services crop production report.
That would be down 10.4% from last year’s state harvest of 5.47 million barrels of cranberries.
Even so, Wisconsin will remain the largest cranberry producer in the world. The state grows and harvests about 61% of the nation’s cranberry supply, expected to be 8.24 million barrels this year. This will be the 30th year that Wisconsin has led the nation in cranberry production.
The other largest cranberry growing states and their 2024 crop size projections are: Massachusetts at 2.2 million barrels; New Jersey at 580,000 barrels, and Oregon at 560,000 barrels.
“Wisconsin is a global leader in cranberry production, generating $1 billion in state economic impact and providing thousands of local jobs across Wisconsin, and we are proud to continue that tradition in 2024,” said Grant Holley, executive director of the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association. “Weather has been the prominent challenge for our crop this year, and while we are down slightly from year’s past, it is the knowledge and dedication of our growers that has kept us from an even worse one.”
Wisconsin cranberries are grown on 21,000 acres across 20 counties in central and northern regions of the state. Approximately 5% of this year’s crop will be sold as fresh fruit, and the remaining cranberries will be frozen and stored for longer-term sales as frozen berries, dried cranberries, juices, sauces and more.
Wisconsin’s cranberry harvest typically begins in late September and runs until mid-October.
“Our 250-plus multigenerational family farmers are hard at work preparing for harvest season, and will soon have another crop of cranberries ready for tables across the U.S. and around the world,” said Holley
