Nova Scotia strawberry crops look good and season should start on time
Strawberry crops in the province have rebounded after a stubborn virus a few years ago
Despite a cool and damp May and early June, strawberry producers in Nova Scotia are expecting a good season that should start at the usual time.
Many U-pick operations are scheduled to open this weekend and Jim Lorraine with RiverBreeze Farm in Truro said they have a great crop this year.
"The season was on track to start a day or two early but last week's cold wet weather slowed them down but only by a couple of days compared to normal," he said in an email to CBC News.
Strawberry crops in the province have rebounded after a stubborn virus threatened the province's $17-million per year industry.
The virus weakened plants to the point where the berries themselves were undesirably small, or the plant failed to produce berries altogether.
It was thought it may take three to five years for the crop to bounce back, but Lorraine said there's no sign of it this year.
"We do not have any virus that devastated our industry in 2013-14 since we had to plow down our entire farm and start fresh with new plants in order to get rid of the virus," he said.
RiverBreeze Farm is aiming to open its U-pick operation July 1. Some operators in the Annapolis Valley are planning to open this weekend.