Optimistic outlook for 2023 apple, pear, cherry crops: B.C. Fruit Growers Association

A cool start to spring isn’t chilling projections for this year’s fruit-growing season.

This week, the B.C. Fruit Growers Association issued a statement saying they’re optimistic for 2023 despite the growing season being around two weeks behind schedule.

“Blossom and harvest times can vary as much or as little as three weeks from season to season,” said the BCFGA, which said apples and cherries comprise about 90 per cent of all fruit grown in the Southern Interior.

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“Despite the delayed season, grower expectations are for a normal crop, with the exceptions of apricots and peaches.”

Temperatures in the Okanagan for April trended around 7.7 C, below the average of 8.4 C, though the mercury is expected to rise to the mid-20s Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Looking further ahead, the BCFGA said the cherry crop was subjected to some bud damage, but that the remaining cherries will be larger in size, so the overall tonnage will likely not be impacted.

“Apples and pears appear to have not suffered too much damage and we will likely have a normal harvest this year,” said the BCFGA. “So far, everything is looking great for these hardier tree fruits.”

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The BCFGA estimates the apple acreage in the Southern Interior at 6,700 acres, with 600 million apples being harvested for a total of 240 million pounds.

The cherry acreage is estimated at 4,800 acres, with 48 million pounds of cherries being harvested every year.

Types of fruit, and when they’re generally harvested:

(Harvest times can vary two to three weeks from the Shuswap to the South Okanagan)

• Apricots: Mid-July to mid-August
• Cherries: Late June to late August
• Peaches: Late July to early September
• Pears: Mid-August to late September
• Plums: Mid-August to late September
• Apples: Mid-August to mid-November

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The BCFGA said this year’s apricot crop will be light, due to bud damage from extreme cold in November and December 2022.

It also said the peach crop suffered damage last winter, though the extent varies from orchard to orchard.

“Considering the heat dome in 2021, the extremely cold 2022 winter and 2022’s cold, wet spring, tree fruit growers have had a wildly weather-challenging past two years,” said the BCFGA.

“The current predictions for an almost-normal growing season in 2023 are a much-needed ray of hope for growers.”

Organization president Peter Simonsen thanked consumers for “shopping B.C. local.”

“The last few years have been tough, but we are committed to producing fruit of the highest quality for your tables.”

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