Washington sweet cherry farmers reported a good crop this year thanks to a moderate spring with warm temperatures.

The state’s sweet cherry production is forecast at 255,000 tons of sweet cherries this year, compared to 195,000 tons last year, or a 31 percent increase, according to recent data released by National Agricultural Statistics Service.

In California, growers expect the best crop in recent years following several seasons of droughts and low yields. Harvest began near the normal late-April timeframe after two years of early crops.

Sweet cherry production is forecast at 432,760 tons nationwide, up 36 percent from 2016.

Nationwide tart cherry production is forecast at 238 million pounds, down 23 percent from the 2016 production.

In Washington, growers reported moderate spring temperatures and moisture and expected harvest to begin later than normal. They expect to harvest 25.3 million pounds of tart cherries, compared to 24.4 million pounds last year, a 3.6 percent increase.