BC Blueberry Council shares concerns about wildfire impacts on long-term production

Climate-related emergencies have done a number on B.C. fruit crops in recent years, and one group is raising concerns around impacts in the long term.

Paul Pryce, executive director of the BC Blueberry Council, says wildfires haven’t had too much of an impact on blueberry production this year. However, he did heed a warning.

“We’re a little concerned about the trend, that we’re starting to see more of these wildfires earlier in the season. And the reason we’re concerned about that is, blueberries, folks known that there are a bunch of health benefits related to it, and a lot of it comes from something called anthocyanins. If smoke gets to a blueberry really early in its life, early when it’s growing, those anthocyanins can be diminished and so you have less of those health benefits,” he told CityNews.

“So we’re a little worried that we’re starting to see more of these wildfires earlier in the year. So it’s not an issue now but it’s certainly something that’s concerning in the longer term.”

Of course, other weather events have also had an impact on fruit-bearing crops in B.C. A frigid blast of winter decimated local stone fruit products this year, though that hasn’t had much of an effect on blueberries, according to Pryce.

However, he notes drought is always a concern — both in the short and long term.

“It’s a little bit of a concern because if we’re not able to get access to that water, really reliable-quality water, it can sometimes reduce the number of yield, so you have less of a production. Maybe not so much of a concern this year but the longer term trend has been worriesome,” Pryce said.

“So far we’re doing quite well. We haven’t really had much of an impact from the wildfire situation this year. Drought is a bit of a concern where we’ve had some drier conditions in some areas, but for the most part, it hasn’t been a concern this year.”

According to the BC Blueberry Council, there are just over 600 growers in the province.

Pryce says the biggest concentration is in the Lower Mainland, at roughly 70 per cent.

-With files from Raynaldo Suarez