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Friday, June 21, 2013
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Hail storm wipes out orchard crop RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff
Four years of intense labour was wiped out in a matter of minutes for Manjeet and Jaspal Sandher. A powerful hail storm descended on the couple’s orchard at the north end of Swan Lake Monday, wiping out the cherry and apple crop. “It’s very disappointing, very heartbreaking,” said Manjeet. Leaves on the four-year-old trees are shredded while the developing ambrosia and gala apples are covered in divots. The situation is just as bad among the sweetheart, centennial and staccato cherries. “It’s almost 100 per cent loss,” said Manjeet of the 60 acres along Highway 97. “There isn’t anything (salvageable). I tried to find one apple and there isn’t any.” The orchard was planted in 2009 and this was just the second year of production. “We were preparing to produce a nice crop,” said Jaspal, adding that all of the necessary steps to ensure growth, such as thinning and disease control, had occurred earlier in the season. They were just four weeks away from harvesting cherries. Now, they have no marketable crop — but the work must continue. “They need to keep the trees healthy for next year’s crop. You can’t let disease build up,” said Lynn Lashuk, an agrologist with Growers Supply. “It’s heartbreaking. With a young block (of trees) it’s so exciting when the fruit comes along.”
LISA VANDERVELDE/MORNING STAR
Orchardists Jaspal and Manjeet Sandher inspect their apple and cherry crops which were damaged by a hail storm Monday. See a video at www.vernonmorningstar.com All of the fruit will be removed so the trees can focus on repairing themselves. Lashuk surveyed the damage Wednesday. “One a scale of one to 10, they have a nine or 10,” she said of the devastation. Jeet Dukhia, B.C. Fruit Growers Association president, has also visited the orchard.
“It’s the worst I have ever seen,” he said. On top of lost revenue, government assistance will be minimal as trees must be into the fourth year of production for full coverage. “We don’t have enough insurance,” said Manjeet, whose orchards in the BX also sustained some hail damage.
“The government should send a representative to see what we had and go by that (instead of how old the trees are).” But while challenges remain, the Sandhers remain dedicated to farming. “Even though we were hit hard, we will do what we have to so we have a good crop. We will never give up,” said Manjeet.
Record rainfall drenches the North Okanagan RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff
Torrential rain has soaked the record book. Environment Canada reports there was 73 millimetres of rain in Enderby and 36 millimetres at Coldstream Ranch during a 24-hour period ending at about 7 a.m. Thursday. Coldstream Ranch’s previous rainfall record for June 19 was 18.5 millimetres in 1913. “This is an incredible rainfall,” said Doug Lundquist, an Enironment Canada meteorologist. “From May 15 to July 15 is our monsoon season, but this is above the top.” There was 51 millimetres of rain recorded at the Mabel Lake forestry station. It’s anticipated that another record (13.6 millimetres on June 20, 2003) was shattered Thursday because 10 to 20
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“Enderby got a month-and-a-half of rain in 24 hours.” — Doug Lundquist
millimetres of rain was forecast depending on the location. The normal rainfall for the entire month of June is 54 millimetres. “Enderby got a month-and-a-half of rain in 24 hours,” said Lundquist, adding that the showers are a result of weather originating in the southern U.S. and moving into B.C. However, the North Okanagan should start drying out
over the next few days. “There will be some thunder showers for the weekend but we will be back to more normal conditions,” said Lundquist. Today, there is a 40 per cent chance of showers late in the afternoon and in the evening. For Saturday, there is a 60 per cent chance of showers and a high of 18, while it should be cloudy and a high of 24 Sunday. The rainfall warning Wednesday and Thursday led officials to warn that flooding could occur in low-lying areas. North Okanagan Emergency Management says residents living near creeks, streams and lakes are responsible for having a plan as well as the tools and equipment necessary to protect their properties from possible flood damage. Stockpiles of sandbags are available in communities throughout the region.
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