Adrian Arts, executive director of the B.C. Fruit Growers’ Association said that growing conditions have been favorable. “We’ve had the best cherry season on record”, he noted, adding that the peach crop has also been strong. This is in contrast to 2024, when a cold snap in January caused major losses in fruit and grape crops across much of the province.

The apple harvest is variable, according to Arts. While yields are good, high summer temperatures have led to fruit with lighter coloration. “The fruit tastes the same. It just doesn’t have the same colour”, he said.

Despite strong harvests, growers are facing low returns. Arts linked part of the price pressure to trade tensions. He explained that tariffs imposed by China on U.S. cherries have limited American sales into the Chinese market. As a result, the U.S. crop is being sold domestically, with some reaching Canadian grocery shelves. “Canadian cherries are globally known as some of the best cherries in the world”, Arts said, adding that Canadian cherries are normally sold at premium prices.

The combination of a large Canadian cherry crop and increased U.S. supply in Canadian retail outlets has reduced prices further. Arts said some growers have chosen not to harvest 10 to 30 per cent of their crop, as the cost of picking outweighs the selling price.

For several years, orchardists in the province have also faced challenges from extreme weather, including the 2021 heat dome, the 2024 cold snap, and other episodes of heat and cold stress that have affected yields and fruit quality. These conditions, combined with current low prices, are creating financial strain for many producers.

Arts said a broader national discussion is needed. “We cannot do without food and water”, he said, calling for government involvement to address Canadian food security and the pressures faced by orchardists and other food producers.

Source: Fresh Plaza