Source: NC Ag Commissioner Steve Troxler, NCDA&CS, 5/18/21

North Carolina blueberry farmers in Pender, Bladen and Robeson counties are surveying their fields to assess crop damage from a recent spring storm with hail. Some strawberry growers also saw damage.

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• Spring is a great time of year, but it can also be a tricky time of year for farmers. Late freezes, hail and strong spring storms can quickly destroy a young, tender crop.
• And, as anyone who lives in North Carolina knows we can see frost and near record temperatures within the same week.
• All in all, I would say we are blessed with a temperate climate, but spring always brings risks for farmers.
• Two Fridays ago/April 30, farmers in our “blueberry belt” counties of Bladen and Pender saw strong storms and hail move through the area. Some areas of Robeson also reported damaging storms.
• The storm stretched over 70 miles with pea- to golf-ball-sized hail dropping for about 20 minutes. For perspective on the potential impact to the blueberry crop, about half of our state’s commercial blueberry farms are located in Bladen County.
• We started to hear reports of damage to the blueberry crop last week. I have also heard of some damage to strawberries in that area, too. At this point, these reports are continuing to be assessed.
• Often, these storms are hit and miss, but if you are the farmer with the crop that gets hit, it can be a devastating.
• From what I have heard so far, we expect local blueberries will still be available, but some growers in these counties may have very significant and extensive damage, possibly even total losses.
• It is possible to have blueberries on a plant and still experience significant damage. As part of the assessment, insurance adjustors will wait 7-10 days following the storm for damaged fruit to fall from the plant.
• That will put them out in the field this week, checking on remaining blueberries.
• They will be looking to see if the fruit remaining on the bushes have visible hail scars. That would make them unmarketable.
• North Carolina ranks 7th in the nation in blueberry production, with around 48.8 million pounds grown annually.
• It’s a crop that generates around $77 million in farm cash receipts, so it is an important crop.

We’ll continue to monitor the developments with the blueberry crop. I hope the news is not bad for our growers.