US(NJ): Blueberry frost damage less than feared
Denny Doyle, manager for the Atlantic Blueberry Co. in Hammonton, predicts only a 1 percent to 7 percent loss of this year’s blueberry harvest, which he said he will gladly take under the circumstances.
Doyle said a wide and varied sampling was conducted throughout both Atlantic and Burlington counties in order to assess damage.
“Seventy five to 100 samples were taken from both colder and warmer fields and from different blueberry varieties,” Doyle said.
This spring’s streaky weather has provided challenges for South Jersey blueberry farmers. Unseasonably warm weather persisted through much of March, allowing blueberry plants to bud earlier than usual. Then came the cold.
Multiple shots of unusually cold air arrived through the first few weeks of April. So far this month, nine nights have dropped below freezing.
The coldest and most damaging night was likely April 5 into April 6. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures dropped as low as 19 to 24 degrees throughout blueberry country.
The cold April has pushed back the date of the projected harvest, which Doyle said now looks like it will be around June 10 to12.
The annual blueberry harvest normally occurs in mid-June, but the warm March had initial harvest projections for an early June harvest this year.
New Jersey produced 57 million pounds of blueberries in 2014, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The value of the New Jersey blueberry crop was $79.5 million that year.
Approximately 82 percent of the state’s blueberry acreage is in Atlantic County.
Source: pressofatlanticcity.com
