In February 2023, a polar vortex impacted Nova Scotia, leading to significant damage to the peach crop before its growth phase. Emily Lutz, the executive director of the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers' Association, expressed optimism for the recovery of peach trees, despite acknowledging the unpredictable weather in Nova Scotia could influence outcomes until the August harvest.
However, the challenges for fruit growers in 2023 extended beyond the polar vortex. Despite favorable apple yields and minimal storm damage, constant rainfall led to storage issues, with many apples bruising and quality declining. This situation resulted in reduced returns for growers, who were already contending with market pressures from an influx of Honeycrisp apples from Washington. This surplus from Washington followed a period of poor seasons, exacerbating the market situation in Canada by decreasing Honeycrisp prices and impacting Nova Scotia growers financially.
Lutz highlighted the compounded difficulties of 2023, including the delayed financial assessment of the apple crop's success due to the post-Christmas sales period, which complicates the pursuit of timely agricultural aid. With the previous year's challenges in mind, there is a collective hope among growers for a more favorable 2024.
Source: saltwire.com