Fruit growers rejoicing higher snowfall totals in N.S. after 2025 drought

CITYnews halifax / By Steve Gow

With snowfall totals above average this winter, fruit growers in Nova Scotia are hopeful after struggling through last summer’s devastating drought.

According to Environment Canada meteorologist Ian Hubbard, snowfall totals as of last Friday were above normal. He says the Annapolis Valley received 16.5 cm more snow than normal since this past December.

That is good news for growers in the province as we begin heading towards the spring and farms prepare for the season ahead.

“We have seen a lot of snow, which we know is a good insulator,” says Emily Lutz, executive director with the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association.

“It is really good for replenishing water storage,, so lucky for us, the snow will melt slowly toward the spring and it will lead to really good soil saturation, and then hopefully the orchards will be restored as far as water is concerned.”

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Lutz says that will be very important as the spring bloom reveals which trees made it through the winter and whether last summer’s drought has impacted their productivity.

“Certain farms were down 50, 60, 70 per cent in their volume because they just did not have the water to size up the fruit,” says Lutz. “Overall in the industry, we were down anywhere between 40 and 60 percent of the fruit we were intending to see.”

Although the above-average snowfall this winter won’t guarantee successful crops, Lutz adds it is still being viewed by most farmers as a positive step as replenished water tables will help prepare crops for whatever may come in the summertime.

“As climate change progresses, we are seeing more and more different events,” she says. “If it’s not a drought, it’s too much rain and then that’s also not good.”