Phil Tregunno, a farmer from Niagara-on-the-Lake, believes it's premature for tender fruit growers to fret over the quantity and quality of the 2024 crop. Despite the lack of super hot days, everything at Tregunno Farms remains dormant, he noted. As the chair of the Ontario Tender Fruit Growers, Tregunno referenced the average temperature of 3 C across southern Ontario in December, the highest since 2015. He indicated that the optimal time for tender fruit trees to bud is early May.
Nelson Thwaites of Thwaites Farms concurred with Tregunno's assessment but warned of potential crop size reduction if temperatures fall below -20 C, particularly affecting peach and nectarine trees. Despite December's warmer than average weather, colder temperatures have recently impacted the region.
Sarah Marshall, manager for Ontario Tender Fruit Growers, echoed the sentiment that it's too early for concern. She highlighted the monitoring of "chilling hours" and heat units to predict the first bloom and harvest.
The tender fruit industry contributes significantly to the province's economy, with Niagara growers playing a substantial role. In 2022, 25.2 million tons of fruit were sold, an 8% increase from 2021, valued at $72.7 million, up 18% from 2021.
Source: niagaranow.com