Wildfires that swept through BC's Summerland area this summer are showing up in this fall's apple crop as smaller-than-normal sizing, particularly on early-season varieties. HG Produce's Gagan Grewal says the extreme heat accelerated fruit development — essentially pushing the season seven to ten days earlier across varieties — without giving fruit enough time on the tree to build size. Gala apples already picked are running small, and there will be more bagged product this year as a result. The company also lost some late-season peach production due to inability to pick in affected areas.
The good news: later varieties appear to be recovering. Ambrosia apples, currently being harvested, are showing larger sizing, and that trend is expected to continue through the rest of the season. Pricing is roughly in line with last year, which Grewal describes as a healthy benchmark, though there's still pressure to keep retail prices accessible enough to maintain consumer demand. Demand from retailers for new-crop apples is described as very strong heading into fall.
For buyers sourcing BC apples, the sizing story will be variety-dependent. Early varieties are the most affected — but if later varieties like Pink Lady come through at normal sizing, the overall program impact may be manageable. Worth monitoring final pack-out data as harvest wraps up.