The weaker Canadian dollar may have contributed to making Canadian vegetables more attractive to the United States market, as for the first time, the value of vegetables leaving the farm gate reached the $1 billion mark, up 8.8%. The farm-gate value of Canadian fruits and vegetables rose 3.9% from 2014 to $1.9 billion in 2015. Vegetable exports also increased, both in terms of quantity and total value.
Ontario accounted for 43.2% of the total value of vegetables grown in Canada in 2015, while Quebec accounted for 40.1%.
Higher yields were generally reported for root vegetables, which were better adapted to the cooler growing conditions experienced in the spring of 2015 in Eastern Canada. Radishes (which include Asian radishes), carrots, beets, leeks and shallots/green onions posted the largest gains.
The total value of Canadian fruits edged down 1.2% to $912 million in 2015.
Ontario producers, which account for about one-fifth of the national fruit value, faced cold winter conditions in 2014/2015 followed by frost in May that damaged apple and other fruit trees. Apple yield fell 15.3% nationally, while the total value of apples declined 14.2% to $182 million.
Blueberries are the largest fruit commodity and accounted for 28.7% of the value of all fruits in 2015. While blueberry value edged down 1.2% to $262 million, production was stable at 166,000 tonnes.
In British Columbia, high bush blueberry production increased 6.3% to 70,000 tonnes and producers received higher prices than the rest of the country.
In Quebec, low bush (wild) blueberry production declined 28.6% to 23,000 tonnes and coincided with a lower price for the product compared with 2014.
Favourable weather conditions in the Maritimes resulted in strong production. However, as in Quebec, the prices were lower.
Total grape value increased 4.6% to $121 million. This growth was mainly attributable to higher prices as production fell 0.7%. Ontario (53.9%) had the largest share of the total grape value, followed by British Columbia (41.0%).
The value of cranberries edged down 0.6% to $113 million, as a price increase was not enough to offset a drop in production.
Source: exchangemagazine.com