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Despite heat and lack of rainfall, Ontario’s tomato crop thrives

Oct 04, 2017

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Some growers have averaged yields higher than 50 tons per acre

By Kaitlynn Anderson

Staff Reporter

Farms.com

Many tomato growers in Ontario are thankful for a strong-yielding harvest this year.

Despite the recent heat wave and lack of rainfall, the current tomato crop could be better than last year’s harvest, according to an article in Chatham This Week.

“It's pretty amazing how the yields have been without that much rain,” Phil Richards, a farmer from Dresden, said in the article.

Farmers hope for a yield of around 45 tons to the acre, Kim Cooper, an agricultural specialist for Chatham-Kent’s economic development department, told Chatham This Week.

However, this season, some farmers have averaged even higher than 50 tons to the acre, he said.

On the other hand, some farmers may have lower yields.

Ontario’s tomato crop may go to various processors in the province, such as ConAgra Foods (Dresden), Harvest Pac Products (Chatham) and Weil’s Food Processing (Wheatley), according to the article.

Farms.com has reached out to Harvest Pac Products for further comment.

Photo: Sukru Goksu / iStock / Getty Images Plus

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