MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Wisconsin growers are forecast to harvest 5.3 million barrels of cranberries in 2025, according to early estimates from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

If the projection holds, the state will once again produce nearly two-thirds of the U.S. supply, marking 31 consecutive years as the country’s top cranberry producer.

Cranberries are grown on 25,000 acres across 19 counties in central and northern Wisconsin. About 5 percent of the crop is sold fresh, with the rest processed and frozen for long-term use in products such as juice and dried fruit.

Cranberries became Wisconsin’s official state fruit in 2004 and remain its top fruit crop by size and economic impact.

The industry supports more than 4,000 jobs and contributes an estimated $1 billion to the state’s economy.