The president of the group representing British Columbia cherry growers says this season will be the most challenging in their lifetimes after a cold snap swept over the province last month.
In a statement issued by the BC Cherry Association, Sukhpaul Bal says temperatures dipped as low as -31 degrees Celsius on the night of Jan. 12, damaging a large percentage of developing cherry buds.
The group says cherry growers are “reeling” from the deep freeze that threatens to “dramatically reduce” their crop this year.
Bal says the cold snap was especially destructive because temperatures were well above freezing the week before, so cherry trees had no time to develop hardiness and the buds were unable to cope with the sudden temperature drop.
An analysis of buds collected after Jan. 12 is nearly done, and the statement says it’s “clear that this was a climate change event that will impact the cherry crop more than any the industry has experienced before.”
The association says its leadership team will meet with government officials in the coming weeks in hopes of developing a plan to support cherry growers as well as packing houses and marketers this season.
“It is too early to say what the impact will be on crops in 2025 and beyond, but it is certainly possible that trees in the worst hit areas have suffered long-lasting damage with a recovery that could take years,” Bal says in the statement.
The cold snap comes after the deadly heat dome in B.C. in June 2021, which also caused crop losses and challenges for growers, the association adds.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 14, 2024.
The Canadian Press
