Blueberry season is coming to an early end, due to the hot weather that baked the Fraser Valley earlier this summer.
“The biggest culprit is the heatwave,” says Harmon Mahil, who oversees MSB Farm in Abbotsford. “It’s basically destroyed people’s crops.”
He has heard estimates of losses between 30 and 50 per cent from other farmers, hitting mostly the early varieties such as the Duke.
“We’ve got maybe a week left at most now,” he said, and a normal season would produce well into September.
They sell mostly to a wholesaler but also have a roadside stand for those who want to buy fresh and local. He said if you haven’t gotten a freezer full of blueberries, it may already be too late.
“Local fruit definitely is best,” he said. “Buy local and fresh, and freeze it fresh.”
Like many local growers, MSB Farm sells mostly to a wholesale processor and has gate sales for the public as well. Stores will likely have to source blueberries from California and other states, he added.
READ MORE: Canadian blueberries ruled not a threat to American producers
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