Limited harvest, but still a quality product for British Columbia cherries

This year has been far from ideal for sweet cherry growers in British Columbia. Sukhpaul Bal, a cherry grower and president of the B.C. Cherry Association, explained to The Packer that this season is one of the many volatile seasons that growers in the Canadian province have experienced in recent years.

Although this year's harvest offers retailers good flavor and good color, it is not as abundant as in past years, he said.

Bal stated that a polar vortex in 2020 damaged that year's crop and since 2020, Mother Nature has kept cherry growers on their toes. In 2021, temperatures reached 116 degrees Fahrenheit (47 degrees Celsius) at his family's farm in the Okanagan Valley. The heat not only affected the 2021 crop but also the forming buds for 2022. In 2023, a cold event also impacted cherry production.

Bal recounted that the previous winter was mild, but within 48 hours, the region experienced a sharp temperature drop to nearly -22 degrees Fahrenheit (around -30 degrees Celsius).

"The trees didn't have a chance to acclimate to this cold," said Bal. "That's where we saw a significant reduction in volume due to a rapid temperature change. We have seen this cold temperature in the past. It’s just the speed at which it went from mild and positive weather to extreme cold [this time]."

It has been tough for the region's sweet cherry growers, who are familiar with the inherent risks of growing stone fruit.

"We know there is a risk," he said. "We're not naive, and it's a very delicate crop. We don't count on hitting it big every year. We know there will be setbacks, but this recent one-to-five-year period is unlike anything we've seen before, with significant damage due to these extreme temperature swings."

Bal said that growers have reached out to the province of British Columbia for support. However, the province reinvests only 2.5% of the GDP generated by agriculture back into the sector.

"This puts us at the bottom of the country," said Bal, emphasizing that his organization and others in the province recognize the need to change this distribution.

This Year's Harvest

Bal stated that despite the challenges faced by the province's cherry growers, those who have a harvest this year have good fruit. The volume is limited. "It will be somewhat of a boutique item, rather hard to come by," he said. "If they were to place some orders for BC cherries, they would be very pleased with the results."

Retailers can expect excellent flavor, color, and juiciness. "What I've heard from some growers is that they are quite pleased with the quality of the cherries," he said.

According to Bal, the cooler evening temperatures in British Columbia and the warm summer days contribute to the cherries' distinctive flavor. Additionally, British Columbia is home to varieties such as Skeena, Sweetheart, Stella, Staccato, and Sentennial.

Read the full article: The Packer
Image: BC Cherry Association

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