B.C. cherry farmers concerned about crop damage amid rain; helicopters on stand-by

The potential for more rain in the forecast could spell disaster for Okanagan cherry crops that are just starting to ripen, valley fruit farmers are saying.

That means helicopters are on standby to hover over orchards in an effort to save delicate fruit, an issue that is as derided by some valley residents as it is needed by farmers.

“Hiring helicopters is not something we undertake lightly,” Sukhpaul Bal, cherry grower and president of the BC Cherry Association, said in a press release.

“They are very expensive, and if there were another way to save our crop, we would.”

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Helicopters can dry an acre of cherries in about five minutes but the cost to growers is somewhere between $1,000 and $1,600 per hour of flying time. Although blowers attached to orchard tractors can also be used, the process takes 40 to 50 minutes an acre.

In a larger orchard, the crop can be lost long before the drying process has been completed.

The issue for cherries is that when they’re nearly ripe, they have a high natural sugar content which draws in rainwater sitting on the fruit, causing it to swell until it breaks open or splits.

Industry representatives say the only practical way to remove rainwater from cherries is to blow it off with the powerful downdraft from helicopters.

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Bal said most people understand that the noisy machines are a necessity, though some are frustrated.

“Last year, despite our worries about the annoyance factor presented by the choppers, 99  per cent of people were very supportive of the need to rescue our crops,” he said.

“Comments in social media and in person were mostly positive. We want to thank our neighbours for their overwhelming patience and understanding.”

Adrian Arts, Southern Interior Team Lead at the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food said he also knows that the sound of helicopters can be bothersome, but it’s a last resort.

“Orchardists use other means to prevent splitting first, such as the planting of split-resistant cherry varieties, or new varieties that ripen later in the summer when it’s usually drier,” Arts said.

Whether helicopters will continue to be seen hovering over Okanagan orchards this year depends entirely on the weather.

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The recent rain experienced in most areas of the Okanagan put earlier ripening cherry varieties at risk, but growers are hoping for some fair weather to help them out and make everyone’s summer a success.