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

Fruits

Canada

Sustainability & Environmental Impact

Market & Price Trends

Published Feb 9, 2024

Tridge summary

Farmers in British Columbia are facing significant crop losses due to rapid winter weather fluctuations, severely impacting peach, grape, and cherry crops. Some farmers anticipate no yield this season, marking the worst damage since the extreme weather-induced floods in November 2021. Farmers are seeking emergency funding through the AgriRecovery program. The B.C. Premier has acknowledged the climate change impact on fruit tree farms and pledged support. The article also highlights the need for policy changes to address climate change realities and calls for the Ministry of Agriculture and Food to declare a state of emergency.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by a state-of-the-art LLM model and is intended for informational purposes only. It is recommended that readers refer to the original article for more context.

Original content

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 ...

Source: Timescolonist