Cherry growers in British Columbia are reeling following January's deep freeze event that threatens to dramatically reduce the 2024 BC cherry crop.
On February 8, the BC Cherry Association (BCCA) convened its membership for a meeting to discuss the impact of an unprecedented ‘polar vortex’ that hit all cherry-growing regions of British Columbia early in January. BCCA president, Sukhpaul Bal, outlined the Association’s response and held an open forum for industry stakeholders to discuss this devastating event. “This is the most challenging season our growers have seen in our lifetime,” said Bal.
Damage to a large percentage of developing cherry buds occurred when temperatures across the Southern Interior fell well below -25°C on the night of January 12, with some weather stations recording readings as low as -31°C. What made this event so destructive for growers was the fact that less than a week earlier, temperatures were well above freezing. Cherry trees had no time to develop winter hardiness and fruit buds were unable to cope with the sudden drop in temperature in such a short period.
The 2024 BC cherry crop could be dramatically reduced following January's "polar vortex."
Following the extreme cold that gripped the BC interior in January, the BCCA board of directors held an emergency meeting to assess the situation and growers began collecting cuttings from orchards to evaluate the damage in the following days. The analysis of the buds is almost complete and it is already clear that this was a climate change event that will impact the crop more than any the industry has experienced before.
This comes on the heels of back-to-back yearly climate change events that have had successive impacts on the cherry industry in Western Canada. In the summer of 2021, BC was hit by the now infamous ‘heat dome’ with temperatures in cherry orchards reaching upwards of 47°C. Growers had to face enormous challenges and crop losses resulting from that, but the BCCA can confirm that 2024 will be much worse in terms of lost crops. The effect may also extend beyond the upcoming season. “It is too early to say what the impact will be on crops in 2025 and beyond, but trees in the worst hit areas may have suffered long-lasting damage with a recovery that could take years,” said Bal.
BCCA executives are planning to meet with both provincial and federal government officials in the coming weeks to develop a plan to support the growers, packinghouses and marketers who have operated together to drive the success of the BC cherry industry over the past two decades. Bal acknowledges the collective efforts of the BCCA’s members, government officials and other cherry industry stakeholders in the face of this unprecedented set of circumstances. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the long-term sustainability of this vital industry.”
For more information:
Sukhpaul Bal
BC Cherry Association
president@bccherry.com
www.bccherry.com