KELOWNA – “You don’t have to go to Vegas to gamble, just farm,” says Fred Steele, President of B.C. Growers Association. This year the Okanagan had a warmer than usual winter and spring, which has some fruits growers on edge.
“It depends on where you are in the valley and also what happens in the rest of the season. We are two to three weeks ahead and what we really need is come really cool weather,” says Steele. “It could end up two weeks, it could end up almost on time too depending on what happens.”
Apple trees were blooming in late April at Goraya Farms in Kelowna and farmers say crops will be ready in late August instead of mid-September.
“It just caught us off guard, just off guard. We always worry about the weather and how it’s going to affect us,” says farmer Tarsem Goraya.
According to Steele and Goraya, picking apples in late August could compromise the quality of the crop.
“It will be too hot at that time. We are worried about the quality,” Goraya adds. “The apples stay in the bin for a day or two before they go to the packing house. And with the heat they will start to soften up.”
Now, it’s just a waiting game. Growers will have to wait and see what the weather will be like in the next two months and how it will affect their crop.
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