This cold snap could affect produce prices in the summer
Posted December 6, 2013 12:35 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
FRASER VALLEY (NEWS1130) – Freezing temperatures and high winds could affect the price you pay for produce next year.
Farmers are watching their crops closely right now; Dave Gill with Golden Eagle Farms says when it’s this cold, the buds on plants could be severely damaged.
“You will get, basically, cell rupture and that can damage your buds,” says Gill. “It’s like water freezing in your pipes. Growers out in Abbotsford and Chilliwack have had a lot of cross-winds. They are probably in areas of more concern than let’s say Pitt Meadows or areas where you’re not getting out into the flats like Sumas or Abbotsford Airport area.
Gill says it will be tough to know for sure how bad the damage is right now. It will be more noticeable in the spring; if the bad weather continues into then, we could see even more harm. The impacts may be most seen on strawberry, raspberry and blueberry crops.
If the crop damage is severe enough, it could leave farmers in shorter supply, which in turn could mean higher prices for you.
The southern US is also getting hit hard. Farmers there are struggling to shield things like avocados, lettuce, and citrus.
