Despite rumors of weather-stunted cherries, farmers from around the B.C. and the Okanagan say 2019 is shaping up to be another great summer harvest.

BC Fruit Grower乌鸦传媒檚 Association president Pinder Dhaliwal confirms the province will 乌鸦传媒渉ave some nice, crunchy cherries this year.乌鸦传媒�

The BCFGA president said that barring any serious rainfall, cherry-pickers can look forward to sprouting-time within the next 10 days or so, depending on the area and the farm.

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乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檝e had showers, but nothing to harm the cherries,乌鸦传媒� said Dhaliwal.

There has been speculation that the nooks and crannies of the sporadic Okanagan early summer might harm the production of this year乌鸦传媒檚 batch, but it hasn乌鸦传媒檛 been anything significant enough for the farmers to notice.

The crop might be 乌鸦传媒渓ighter乌鸦传媒�, according to Dwane Dickinson, the 77-year-old owner of Dickinson Family Farm, but 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 happy with it.乌鸦传媒�

The Dickinson Family Farm has stayed within the ancestral tree since its opening in 1912 and looks forward to another season in business.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 sort of a family set up here. Parents can show their kids that cherries don乌鸦传媒檛 grow at Safeway,乌鸦传媒� said Dickinson in a hearth of chuckles.

Other cherry farms around the Okanagan also confirm the words of Dickinson and Dhaliwal: the folks over at Sun City Cherries agree that cherry season is looking good, with the exception of a lighter crop this year.

The colder nights early on affected Sun City乌鸦传媒檚 crops, said manager Gordie Sandhu, but he thinks the 乌鸦传媒渙verall cherry production should go up because of the new plantings.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淪o far the weather now has been good,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淲e don乌鸦传媒檛 want rain during the harvest.乌鸦传媒�

Sandhu and his team at Sun City Cherries are anticipating that their cherries will be in around the second week of July.

乌鸦传媒淕rowing season on our end is looking decent,乌鸦传媒� said Sandhu.

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The real problem, BCFGA president admits, is the lack of apricots due to an abundance of frost earlier in the year.

乌鸦传媒淚f you see B.C. apricots, then get them while you can because they are a hot commodity,乌鸦传媒� Dhaliwal said.

David.venn@kelownacapnews.com
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