Drought pushes P.E.I. orchards to open early as apples drop

Maria Sarrouh has more on how weather conditions in Atlantic Canada are having a varying effect on orchard farms in the region, prompting fears over profits.

Apple season is arriving early on Prince Edward Island with some orchards opening U-picks ahead of schedule as the fruit drops after a dry summer.

At Wintermoor Orchard in York, P.E.I., workers cleared fallen apples that should still be hanging.

“That we’re open a full week early, that’s really quite telling,” said co-owner Mark Ashley, adding the orchard’s U-pick usually starts in mid-September.

Back in the 1990s, Ashley planned for a warmer world, planting bigger trees to shade root systems and help retain soil moisture. Plus, they have deeper anchoring systems to protect against violent weather.

However, after nearly three months of little to no rain and record-high temperatures, his trees are stressed.

“If there’s no water to start with, then there’s nothing to save, so it’s been a tough one,” he said.

Similar conditions affected harvest timing and fruit growth in parts of Nova Scotia, delaying the apple season rather than moving it up, with drought stunting growth.

Other crops are affected, too.

Barry Balsom, co-owner of Arlington Orchards north of Miscouche, P.E.I. says his peach crop faced challenges. The team set up irrigation systems to help keep them growing.

Now, the peaches planted later in the season are sizing up well, but the ones planted earlier are smaller than usual.

“It was a lot of work, but we managed to save the crop,” Balsom said. “That makes a lot of people happy. If I don’t have peaches, I’ve got a lot of mad people.”

The impacts of dry spells are widespread, said Aitazaz Farooque, director of UPEI’s Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation.

“It will certainly impact the yield and quality of pretty much all the crops. And at the end of the day, that’s going to impact the profitability of the farmers,” said Farooque, who is also a professor of precision agriculture at the university.

He says data shows rainfall patterns have changed, likely influenced by climate change, with more downpours toward the fall.

“I think we would need some early warning systems. And forecasting down the road to see what we are getting into and how we can be better prepared.”

Back on the farm, the fruit still tastes great, and Ashley says it’s not all about the bottom line.

“This is as much about people enjoying themselves as it is, us making a profit off of it,” he said. “We’re very concerned about how people are going to perceive the orchard - if it’s going to meet their expectations. So fingers crossed. We’re cleaning up because of that.”

Williams’ Pride is one of the varieties on offer at Wintermoor Orchard this weekend, and there is plenty to pick.