Apple yields down 85 per cent
Local apple farmers are reporting smaller yields this year and the Ontario Apple Growers say yeilds across the province are down about 85%.
High temperatures in March caused buds to sprout early, leaving them susceptible to frost when seasonal cold weather returned. Many of the trees saw significant damage, some enough to stop producing fruit.
July's drought conditions created more problems, accentuating the loss according to OAG Chair Brian Gilroy. He says it's likely some of the trees were hard enough hit the effects will linger in to next spring.
Gilroy also says farmers are losing so much that insurance may not go far enough to cover all of the losses.
Gilroy says prices will rise and there will be noticeable scarcities of Empire and MacIntosh apples in Ontario but stores will be able to bring in successful crop from BC, Nova Scotia and Quebec.
One local farmer says that over 1,000 bushels will be lost from his harvest this year and producers say that apples may increase in size over the next couple of months but there will be no increase in crop yields.