Washington raises minimum size for most sweet cherries, a small rule with direct packing effects
USDA raised minimum size and tweaked pack counts for Washington sweet cherries. A technical packhouse rule with limited direct impact on prices.
By Foodie Pundit Newsroom - Published - Updated - Section: Policy Regulation
Key points
- USDA raised the minimum size for most Washington sweet cherries, not including Rainier or Royal Anne.
- The rule changes pack counts and the pack requirements table, which affects how packhouses sort and label fruit.
- This is a handling and packing rule, not a price or safety regulation; the record does not estimate price impacts.
- No lobbying money is disclosed in the record; the change came via the Washington Cherry Marketing Committee and AMS.
- The final rule was published on 2026-08-27, the record does not list a separate effective date.
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