Quebec strawberries come out early this year

The strawberry season has already started in Quebec. Helped by the weather of recent months, the small red fruits came out at least a good week earlier than normal in several regions of the province.

At Potager Yvanhoé, in Saint-Henri, near Lévis, Océane Brochu will harvest her first strawberry harvest on Wednesday, at least a week earlier than usual. It’s a very good strawberry year aheadshe rejoices.

Several factors are behind the early release of strawberries, including the weather in recent months, she explains: We had a very beautiful spring; There wasn’t much snow, so the fields dried out quickly.

Agricultural workers were therefore able to enter the fields more quickly and benefited from mild temperatures, she says, adding that there were very few frosts in spring too, compared to last year.

Up to 14 days earlier in certain areas

It’s not only in Saint-Henri that the strawberries come out earlier. 7,10Or14days [d’avance]it depends who we’re talking to “,”text”:”We’re talking about 7, 10 or 14 days [d’avance]it depends who we talk to “}}”>We are talking about 7, 10 or 14 days [d’avance]; it depends who you talk tosays Guy Pouliot, vice-president of the Association of Strawberry and Raspberry Producers of Quebec.

In the Montreal area, they started really earlier, they started in the second half of May; an exciting start to the season, he believes. It’s a relief after last year’s difficult season.

Also co-owner of the Onésime Pouliot farm, on Île d’Orléans, he also had a very early start to the season.

June, so it’s the third earliest season of our lives”,”text”:”This is not a common thing. We, in our life, have started twice [la récolte] towards the end of May, in the last days of May. This year, we started on June 1st, so it’s the third earliest season of our lives”}}”>This is not a common thing. We, in our life, have started twice [la récolte] towards the end of May, in the last days of May. This year, we started on June 1st, so it’s the third earliest season of our lives.

And the hot, dry weather we’re currently experiencing is ideal for strawberries, he says. What strawberries like is a tourist temperature. They don’t need rain. Every time it rains, it creates damage. It’s much easier to irrigate when it’s hot than to stop the rainadds Guy Pouliot.

Further west on Route 368, which circles the Île d’Orléans, producer Louis Gosselin made his first harvest on June 1, around ten days earlier than usual.

However, he explains that earlier production will require an adjustment to the distribution chain. Customers are often not ready to receive Quebec strawberries in stores so early, he believes.

It remains to be seen what the next few months have in store. In Quebec, the season lasts almost five months. It is a fruit that is fragile; it is sensitive to all the conditions we have. It’s difficult to say if the season will be good, but the fields are beautiful and the flowering is goodhe rejoices.

With the collaboration of Anne-Sophie Roy and Marie-Claire Giffard