prunings A


h yes, autumn weather on the British Columbia coast. Sometimes delightful,


sometimes not so much, and occasionally quite miserable. And this year was definitely the latter, for farmers particularly. In case you weren't paying attention (and how likely is that?) September was particularly soggy, with more than five times the monthly average of 1.6 inches of rain.


Vegetable growers were


particularly hard-hit, and at the time of this writing, the situation was presenting a challenge for newly- appointed agriculture minister Ben Stewart. His immediate pre3decessor, Steve Thomson, had met with grower reps in mid-October to discuss what could be done about their losses, only a portion of which would be covered by Agri-Stability and/or production insurance The discussion resulted in formation of a nine-member working group comprising growers, B.C. Vegetable Marketing Commission members and government staff to assess the damage and come up with ways to deal with it ...


Blueberry growers ought to be grinning in South America these days. Exports of Argentinean blueberries by late October had surpassed the 2009-10 level by 1,000 metric tons. Exports arrived on export markets two weeks earlier than last season with a larger supply than anticipated, causing prices to fall considerably. Aside from the larger volume, the downturn was attributable largely to a contraction in demand, coupled with a lack of promotions for the fruit. Industry officials expect total exports of blueberries from Argentina in 2010-11 to match expectations of between 12,000 and 12,500 tonnes, up from 10,473 tonnes last season. More than 70 percent has been sent to the U.S. In Chile, meanwhile, blueberry growers expect to harvest more berries in the future, with a corresponding increase in shipments to North America. Andres Armstrong, executive director of the Chilean Blueberry Committee, presented an industry outlook Oct. 15 to blueberry importers attending the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit 2010 in Orlando, FL. He said growth of the blueberry industry has been strong, with exports climbing from 9,457 metric tons in


2003-04 to 49,793 metric tons in 2009-10. Production of nearly 50,000 metric tons in 2009-10 was up 20 percent from 2008-09, but even bigger gains in exports loom ahead. Exports are forecast to surge to 66,711 metric tons in 2010-11 — with 82 percent or 54,700 metric tons expected to be shipped to the U.S. Larger pack sizes are expected during peak harvest season, with promotable volume expected in December in mainly one-pint clamshells. Armstrong said new markets in China, India and Korea are targeted for opening in the coming season...


We already have heard plenty


about the Spotted Wing Drosophila in this part of the world, and now Michigan is about to hear a lot more. SWD was found this fall in traps deployed by Michigan State University (MSU) entomologists in southwestern areas of the state. However, the pest has not been found in any fruit, and flies were trapped only after crop harvest was complete. Further monitoring is under way. Still in Michigan, Patrick


Hartmann, a leader in the state's blueberry industry for more than 50 years, died Oct. 19. He was 80. A member of the Michigan Blueberry Growers Association’s board of directors for many years, Hartmann organized the first tissue culture propagation laboratory for disease- free plants and was the first Michigan grower to produce greenhouse blueberries...


Some potentially good news on the bug front: The mass deaths of honeybee colonies in the U.S. may be caused by a lethal combination of fungi and viruses. A team of military


and university researchers, predominantly from the University of Montana, have identified three viruses — Varroa destructor-1, Kakugo and an invertebrate iridescent virus — in dead honeybees killed by what is known as colony collapse disorder. They also found these bees were infected with two fungi — Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae. Exactly how that combination kills bees remains uncertain, the scientists said, and is a subject for the next round of research. But there are solid clues: both the virus and the fungus proliferate in cool, damp weather. The research builds on earlier studies that made the connection between fungi and the bees’ deaths. In 2007, Ontario Beekeepers' Association experts collected about 446 bee samples from 25 keepers and discovered that each one contained Nosema apis, a single-celled protozoan that affects the bees' digestive systems. More than half of the samples had Nosema ceranae... Some dates to remember: Nov. 23 — MarketSafe Food Safety Training For Blueberry Growers, hosted by the B.C. Blueberry Council, Langley. Call 604-864-2117. Dec.1-3 — Northwest Small Fruits Center annual conference, Owyhee Plaza Hotel, Boise, ID. Call 541-758-4043. Dec. 7 — Washington State University Small Fruit Workshop ~ Lynden, WA. For details, contact Colleen Burrows, WSU Whatcom County Extension, 360-676-6736. Jan. 27- 29 — 13th Annual Pacific Ag Show and Grower Hort Short Course, Abbotsford. For more information, go to


www.agricultureshow.net. Moving?


If you’ve got a new address, make sure we know about it, so delivery of your BC Berry Grower will continue uninterrupted.


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Mail to Suite Suite 309, 151-32500 South Fraser Way, Abbotsford, BC, V2T 4W1 Fax: 250-768-3368 or E-mail growersubs@omedia.ca


British Columbia Berry Grower • Winter 2010-11 19


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