January deep freeze devastated BC Southern Interior cherry crop
Cherry growers in the Southern Interior fear a deep freeze earlier this year will greatly reduce cherry crops this coming season.
Members of the BC Cherry Association gathered late last week, Feb. 8, to talk about the polar vortex that hit cherry growing regions in early January.
“This is the most challenging season our growers have seen in our lifetime,” association president Sukhpaul Bal said in a media release issued today, Feb. 12.
A large percentage of developing cherry buds were damaged when temperatures dipped below -25 Celsius in the Southern Interior on Jan. 12.
Less than a week prior to the deep freeze, temperatures were well above zero which didn’t allow the trees to develop winter hardiness and the fruit buds couldn’t cope with the sudden drop in temperature.
Growers gathered cuttings from their orchards to assess the damage.
“The analysis of the buds on those branches is almost complete, and it's already clear that this was a climate change event that will impact the cherry crop more than any the industry has experienced before,” the release read.
Cherry growers in Western Canada have been grappling with climate change events in recent years including the 2021 summer heat dome where temperatures in the orchards climbed to 47 C causing crop losses.
Bal said growers will even lose more of their cherry crop this year and the impacts of the freeze could last beyond this coming season.
“It's too early to say what the impact will be on crops in 2025 and beyond, but it's certainly possible that trees in the worst hit areas have suffered long-lasting damage with a recovery that could take years,” he said.
Cherry association executives are planning to meet with both provincial and federal government officials in the next few weeks to come up with a plan to support the growers, packinghouses and marketers in the industry.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the long-term sustainability of this vital industry,” Bal said.
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