Peters Township farmer loses peach crop to late freeze
Pennsylvania fruit growers are assessing damage to their crops following a late April freeze that came at a critical stage in the annual growing cycle.
The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau is reporting losses of at least $28 million for producers across the state so far, but that number is expected to rise significantly.
无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 know what the number is going to be at the end of this, but that无毛视频檚 significantly below what I expect it无毛视频檚 going to be,无毛视频� said the farm bureau无毛视频檚 Will Whisler. 无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 the number with only 52 farmers who produce (fruit crops) in the state reporting. That无毛视频檚 a small fraction of the number of (fruit farmers). The freeze had a devastating impact. It无毛视频檚 pretty bad.无毛视频�
It is feared that Pennsylvania 无毛视频� which ranks fourth in the nation in apple production 无毛视频� could lose as much as 80% of its fruit crop this spring, while peach, cherry, and grape crops also were affected.
Simmons Farm in Peters Township has lost its peach crop this year, forcing the farm to cancel its annual pick-your-own peaches event.
无毛视频淏asically, we won无毛视频檛 have a crop this season,无毛视频� said fifth-generation farmer Scott Simmons, tugging at the branch of a peach tree that had two developing peaches on it. 无毛视频淥n this one branch, there should be 30 at least. In any case, this is not enough for us to spray or water or take care of.无毛视频�
The farm bureau has sent a survey to its 25,000 members across the state to determine the impact of the April frost on farms throughout the state.
According to data collected so far, 71% of the 106 respondents reported expected losses of 75%, and 33% of people who responded said they predict a total loss.
无毛视频淎 large chunk of the respondents said this was the worst loss they无毛视频檝e experienced in decades of farming,无毛视频� said Whisler.
Simmons said the farm recorded temperatures around 28 degrees on April 20 and 21.
That frost was part of a double whammy: Simmons said extreme cold from a 无毛视频渨inter kill无毛视频� earlier this year damaged some of the crops, and the April freeze 无毛视频渇inished them off.无毛视频�
Whisler said Pennsylvania recorded one of its warmest Aprils on record, and 无毛视频渨hat we无毛视频檙e understanding is, there were record high temperatures in April, and it kind of tricked the flowers into blooming earlier, and a lot of fruit started to bloom. Basically, anything that bloomed early was killed by that frost.无毛视频�
Simmons said he will use a grower from Chambersburg to stock and sell peaches in the farm无毛视频檚 marketplace this year. He is covering other crops, including strawberries and corn, when the temperatures drop.
The farm无毛视频檚 apple crop emerged relatively unscathed, and Simmons predicts it will yield 90% of its anticipated fruit.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e all right on apples. That goes by variety, though. Red delicious, we don无毛视频檛 have any,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淲ith apples, one variety will be full bloom today, and a week later, another variety will bloom.无毛视频�
Outcomes can vary at different farms, and at Trax Farms in Finleyville, farmer Mike Allridge said the apple crop emerged relatively unscathed.
无毛视频淲e didn无毛视频檛 have a lot of damage; we weren无毛视频檛 impacted very much,无毛视频� said Allridge.
While farmers like Simmons say this has happened before, the frost came at a bad time for many of them, as they also face a rise in production costs.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 tough. You无毛视频檙e talking about high input costs related to fertilizer and gas prices, and you put it all together and it无毛视频檚 not a great situation for a lot of these businesses,无毛视频� said Whisler.
Help could be on the way. Rep. Dan Moul, Republican Chairman of the Pennsylvania House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, is calling for federal emergency funding for the state无毛视频檚 fruit farmers.
无毛视频淢y aim is to protect those who feed us, the jobs they provide and the positive economic impact both have on Adams County and all of Pennsylvania,无毛视频� said Moul. 无毛视频淗elping our farmers helps all of us.无毛视频�