Heavy rains threaten Ontario fruit supply and future orchard recovery
Heavy rainfall and flooding in Ontario's Niagara region could have lasting effects on fruit production and prices across Canada. Agricultural experts warn that damage to orchards may reduce supplies of popular fruits such as peaches, plums, and cherries in the coming years. Read the article: Will Consumers Support the 2026 Ontario Peach Harvest if Prices Rise?
The Niagara Peninsula is one of Canada's most important fruit-growing regions and produces a large share of the country's peaches. Recent flooding brought more than 30 centimetres of rain to the area, affecting farms, orchards, and vineyards. Excess water can be especially harmful to fruit trees because their roots are highly sensitive to waterlogged soil.
“Fruit trees are not deep rooted, as they are grafted on a rootstock,” said Dr. Jayasankar (Jay) Subramanian a tree fruit breeding and biotechnology professor at the University of Guelph who develops improved fruit varieties for Ontario growers. “They mostly evolved in elevated and hilly regions where the landscape does not allow waterlogging, and hence, genetically their roots are very sensitive to excess water.”
Unlike many other plants, fruit trees have relatively shallow root systems. When roots remain underwater for long periods, trees can become stressed, weakened, or die. As a result, growers may experience significant losses that could reduce fruit harvests as early as next year.
Experts believe the damage may lead to a decline in the supply of peaches and other tender fruits. When production decreases while consumer demand remains strong, fruit prices often rise. This means shoppers may face higher costs for fresh fruit in grocery stores in the future.
The impact may not be short term. Agricultural specialists estimate that recovery could take several years because replacing lost trees is a slow process. Young fruit trees require time to grow and reach full production. In addition, flooding has also affected some tree nurseries, creating concerns about the availability of new planting stock needed for orchard renewal.
“One of my major worries is the availability of trees to plant from next year,” Dr. Subramanian says. “Some of the nurseries are flooded, and with the demands for fresh trees expect to rise, there will be lack of grafts available.”
The situation highlights the challenges that extreme weather events can create for agriculture not just in the near term, but in the short term too.