The 2018 cherry season has been the pits for some growers in the south Okanagan.
Wet weather is wreaking havoc on earlier ripening cherry varieties.
Rai Produce in Osoyoos estimates 50 to 60 per cent of its cherry crop is lost.
“The cherry crop looked like it’s a bumper crop before but because of the rain, two weeks ago it was a big rain and hail in this area, so lots of cherries split,” owner Paramjit Rai said.
“It’s a big loss for the farmers.”
Torrential downpours are prompting some growers to turn to helicopters to save their crops.
The industry says the best way to remove rainwater is to blow it off.
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The B.C. Cherry Association says growers are aware the use of helicopters can be a nuisance for neighbours.
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“Hiring helicopters is not something we undertake lightly,” said Sukhpaul Bal, cherry grower and president of the B.C. Cherry Association.
“They are very expensive, and if there were another way to save our crop, we would.”
Smaller farms, like Rai Produce, rely on blowers attached to tractors, which are less expensive but also less effective.
“Last year there was not nearly as much loss, and the year before either, but a few years back there was even more loss so it can get worse,” said Rai Produce manager Chris Cameron.
Meanwhile, the cherry sorting line is in full swing in Oliver.
Despite the rain, projections are ripe.
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The B.C. Tree Fruits Cooperative, which represents about a third of cherry producers in the Okanagan, says they expect to yield 11 million pounds of cherries this season.
The crop in 2017 came in short of the initial estimate at 10.1 million pounds due to weather challenges across the region.
“You definitely see some impact for specific growers in specific regions but overall for our cooperative we haven’t really seen a large impact so far,” said marketing manager Chris Pollock.
“That can change depending on weather forecasts over the next seven to eight weeks of our cherry season, so that is something our growers are looking at on a daily basis in terms of monitoring weather.”
If wet weather persists followed by intense heat, a cherry shortage could lead to higher prices for consumers.
“Supply and demand, definitely with a short supply prices will go up,” Bal said.
But it isn’t all sour news.
Growers say the cherries that do make it to grocery store shelves will be the cream of the crop.
“The cherries that are not damaged are really sweet, very big and quite delicious,” Cameron added.
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