Left to right- Local grower Greg Norton of Okanagan Harvest, and crop insurance inspector Joyce Sanderson, access the damage to Norton’s cherry crop at his farm on Sumac Road in Oliver. Erin Christie Photo
As cherry season gets into full swing in the South Okanagan, local growers are finding themselves a little uneasy.
Greg Norton of Okanagan Harvest said a soggy spring has already put a significant dent in this year’s cherry crop. Norton said early estimates suggest that after suffering a double whammy of frostbite and the recent pounding of rain, less than 30 per cent of his crop will be likely marketable by harvest time.
“It’s still early so it’s hard to tell just yet,” he told the Chronicle during a recent visit to his orchard on Sumac Road. “If the rain keeps up we may find ourselves in real trouble.”
Norton said all is not necessarily lost though. “The cold has maintained the firmness of the fruit so if we make it through this bad patch, we will have a top quality product.”
Nirmal Dhaliwal of Okanagan Tree Fruit Cooperative said he is also predicting a loss in total tonnage this year. Dhaliwal has seen some significant damage, and growers with a light crop may find themselves unable to reach the economic threshold. However, he agreed that once the damage is assessed, the South Okanagan could still yield some very fine fruit. The question, he said, is will there be enough left to sell by the end of July?
Glen Lucas, GM for the BC Fruit Growers’ Association, said growers like Norton and Dhaliwal will benefit from the new import agreement with China. Lucas said the association and the Chinese government have agreed on a one-year pilot project that will include regular inspections of BC cherries by Chinese inspectors, to ensure quality and safety. At the end of the trial period, Lucas is hopeful that the BC Cherry Association and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will enter into a long-term agreement with the Chinese government.
Lucas said the association is also working on several initiatives to help give local growers a boost. Their primary focus is the “Buy Local” campaign, which launched in December 2012 and will begin ramping up over the summer.
By Erin Christie
Oliver Chronicle
