The sweltering late September weather is putting some eastern Canada growers in a difficult position.
Ken Beattie is normally harvesting potatoes this time of year at his farm near Alliston, Ontario, but his machinery remains idle for the time being.
“I’ve never experienced this kind of unprecedented heat we have had in the month of September,” Beattie says. “Totally something new for me.”
The record-breaking heat wave has warmed the soil. The potatoes themselves are actually 10 degrees warmer than they should be. If harvested now, much of the crop would spoil in storage. Growers can only wait for cooler weather and hope there isn’t too much rain to put them further behind schedule.
“Without so much heat this summer, the crops are behind, and we really need this heat to help finish them up,” says grower James Cubitt.
Source: Fresh Plaza