The Haut-Saint-Laurent is where the apple reigns supreme in Quebec. The deliciously beautiful region includes some 20 orchards that are open to the public. There is consensus that the harvest will be good, despite the whims of Mother Nature.
« It’s been a very good season, in spite of the drought we experienced here in Franklin, » said Jeffrey Blair. « The apples are a bit smaller but the trees are full. »
At Vergers Blair, on route 202, there are 14 varieties of apples. Cortland is the main apple available for U-pick up to Thanksgiving. The harvest will continue until the third week of October.
According to Blair, the increase of apple orchards in the region has made it a major tourist attraction. « There are some 20 orchards open for U-pick in the Franklin area, » he pointed out. « The supply is great and people from as far away as Montreal are interested and come out to see the apples. »
Urban orchard
The only urban orchard, the Ferme Hubert Sauvé, is having a good fall. « It’s not a record year, but it’s a good year, » emphasized Paul Sauvé. « We have a good number of apples. Everything depends on the temperature, the harvest should end around October 20. »
The orchard includes eight varieties of apples. At this point, winter apples, which keep the best, such as McIntosh, Spartan, Cortland and Empire are featured.
His geographic location in the area is key. « People come from Eastern Ontario and west of Montreal, » said the producer. « The highway connections are easy and I don’t charge an entrance fee. »
Estimate of apple harvest in Québec for the region south-west of Montreal
1000 bushels broken down as follows:
McIntosh: 525
Empire: 65
Cortland: 105
Spartan: 70
Paula red: 45
Gala: 23
Honeycrisp: 42
Lobo: 36
Other late varieties: 54
Early varieties: 35
(one bushel = 42 pounds)
Assessment of Quebec production
Apple production in Québec for the current year is estimated at 5.6 million bushels. This is a 4% decrease compared to last year and a 1% decrease compared to the average for the last five years. Although producers in the Montérégie had to deal with incidents of hail which resulted in damage, they are optimistic about the quality of their apples.
[Sources – Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation, Institut de la statistique, Les producteurs de pommes du Québec, Clubs d’encadrements techniques, La Financière agricole – effective September 18]
