Farmers in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley are experiencing a rebound year. Emily Lutz, executive director of the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers Association, highlighted the stark contrast to the previous year, "Last year there was not a peach on this tree." The absence of local peaches, plums, and cherries in the past was attributed to the polar vortex. This year's abundant crop marks a significant turnaround.
The revival of the trees themselves is a relief to growers, as Lutz explains, "It's certainly nice that the trees themselves came back. Of course, if the trees themselves are damaged so much that they die or have to be replaced, it's a huge investment cost for the grower." With the growing season nearing its end, attention is shifting towards the harvest and potential challenges in transporting products to market.
Concerns about labor unrest between Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Kansas City and their workers are being closely monitored. "We're keeping an eye on it, but we're not too concerned yet," William Spurr, president of Horticulture Nova Scotia, states.
The federal government's decision to reduce the number of temporary foreign workers allowed into the country is also under observation, especially since agriculture currently remains exempt from these changes. "When it first came out that there was going to be changes made, we made some phone calls to see where agriculture was going to fit into the changes," mentions Spurr. Lutz adds, "We're absolutely watching that, our entire industry is reliant on the seasonal portion of that program. The workforce is here, they have arrived from all over the world, and everybody's got things lined up, and I haven't heard of any problems."
Source: AtlanticCTVNews