Funding for Fruit Growers Affected by February’s Extreme Cold

Mar 14, 2023

Grape and other fruit growers whose crops were affected by the extreme cold weather in February will soon receive additional support to help them recover.

Agriculture Minister Greg Morrow announced $15 million in funding today, March 9, in Wolfville.

“I’ve talked to farmers about the impact last month’s extreme cold had on their crops, and some are predicting a full loss of their fruit harvest this year,” said Minister Morrow. “This funding will help cover some of the extraordinary costs producers are facing over the next few years as the full scope of the damage is revealed.”

Early assessments indicate up to 100 per cent of grapes, raspberries, peaches, cherries and plums may be lost this year. The actual percentage loss and the long-term impact of the extreme cold won’t be known until spring.

The Department of Agriculture will work with industry representatives over the next few months to design and deliver programs that will meet their needs. It will help with losses not covered by business risk management programs like crop insurance. The new fund may also support replant programs and climate change mitigation projects.

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Video: A chain harrow is a game changer

Utilizing a rotational grazing method on our farmstead with our sheep helps to let the pasture/paddocks rest. We also just invested in a chain harrow to allow us to drag the paddocks our sheep just left to break up and spread their manure around, dethatch thicker grass areas, and to rough up bare dirt areas to all for a better seed to soil contact if we overseed that paddock. This was our first time really using the chain harrow besides initially testing it out. We are very impressed with the work it did and how and area that was majority dirt, could be roughed up before reseeding.

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