February’s frost has been problematic for some San Joaquin County cherry growers. As a result, the county has filed for an emergency declaration with the state of California, hoping for financial aid.
Bruce Blodgett, executive director of the San Joaquin Farm Bureau, said these are challenging times for many growers in the county, as some growers have lost half their crop. “What that means in pure dollars rather than a $200 million crop, about a $100 million crop, so, a lot of impact to that industry. Those that were just starting to bloom, getting in and really just trying to get that crop set — that freeze just came in and just wiped them out."
Blodgett added that this is the third year in a row that cherry growers have had to contend with factors leading to a lighter harvest. In 2021, Blodgett explained growers had to cope with drought. He also said that the freeze impact varied from orchard to orchard, crop to crop.
Source: kcra.com
