“As soon as you get rain on them and the sun comes out, they swell and they split,” said Steele.
Long range forecasts are predicting a hot, dry summer and the possibility of drought conditions in B.C., but Steele said it’s too early to be sure of the summer weather.
“I don’t think anybody really knows. That’s the problem, we are three weeks ahead, almost a month, depending on where you are,” said Steele.
Warm weather might mean early fresh fruit now, but could mean problems for later crops if they are too early – apples and other fruit require cooler nights to fully mature and gain colour.
An early season also causes problems with finding people to pick the fruit — while foreign workers are brought in yearly, the schedule for that is timed to the usual seasoning of the fruit.
Despite concerns, Steele said the mood is positive among growers.
