On the back of some good years, this year is seeing Canadian cranberry volumes generally down for most growing regions. In British Columbia, the harvest is still underway, and while numbers are yet to be tallied, growers are saying yield is mostly down on the average. "We are still in the middle of our harvest," said one British Columbia grower. "Production looks to be down, but we can't say by how much until the harvest is finished. Most of the growers in the region are saying their crop is down."
In Quebec, the nation's largest producing region, the harvest is close to finishing and growers there are also observing a dip in production. This year, the harvest was slightly delayed due to generally warmer temperatures during the growing season. "The Quebec harvest was delayed by 10 days, which means it began later than normal this year," said Ben Johnson, of Bridges Produce. "We were waiting for cooler temperatures to get started, as cranberries take on a better color when the temperatures are at the right level. At this stage, we have just finished getting all the product in. Volume is definitely down, but we won't know how significantly until we get our final numbers."
Quality high as demand strengthens
Given the drop in production, growers are seeing a rise in demand, particularly in the dried market. In addition, the quality of the fruit is looking good, something that producers hope will strengthen their position.
"Despite the short crop, quality is looking very good," continued Johnson. "At Bridges Produce, we handle Canada's largest organic producers' fruit and we focus on the fresh market. Quebec has been one of the largest producers of organic cranberries and continues to see excellent growth in that field. The vast majority of the Quebec crop goes to the dried cranberry programs, so the short crop will be felt mostly on that market. We will ensure that adequate volumes are kept for the fresh market to keep consistent supply for the programs we have developed in previous years."
Bridges Produce sells fresh organic Fruit d'Or cranberries under the 'Patience Fruit' brand, in 8oz and 12oz bags, 7.5oz clamshells and 22lb bulk boxes.
For more information:
Ben Johnson
Bridges Produce
Tel: 503-235-7727
