Canada: Some B.C. fruit to be in short supply this summer after orchards hurt by rapid temperature changes

Farmers in B.C.’s Interior say rapid fluctuations in winter weather have wiped out many of their peach, grape and cherry crops, meaning consumers will likely see fewer local soft fruits on grocery store shelves this summer. Emily Chambers, co-owner of Blue Canoe in Creston, said not one of her orchard’s 1½ hectares of lapins cherry trees has produced a single viable flower bud this season. “We’ll likely have zero cherries,” said Chambers, who has operated the farm with her husband, Trent Mason, for four years now, brokering their cherries to grocers across Canada and the U.S. “We got used to taking out around 40,000 pounds of the fruit each harvest season — but this kind of harvest is unheard of.” Chambers said she’s fortunate to have provincial crop insurance, which will help cover some costs associated with production loss. Peter Simonsen, president of the B.C. Fruit Growers Association, said the weather-related damage is the worst the industry has seen since floods caused by ...