Quebec strawberry fields ravaged by crop-ruining viruses

Strawberry growers in the Quebec City area are benefiting from the unintended consequences of a combination of viruses attacking strawberry crops across the southern part of the province.

Normally early July is prime strawberry-picking time.

With 560 strawberry-producingbusinesses in the province, Quebec is the biggest producer of the sweet fruit in the country.

But with viruses attacking plants in the greater Montreal region, as well as Lanaudire, the Eastern Townships and the Saguenay regions, many strawberry farmers are consideringcurrent infected crops a total loss.

The infectedplants are dried up and areoften times dwarfed, producing few berries if any at all. The fruit the plants do manage to produce are safe for consumption but don't come in marketable volumes.

Seedling suppliers sold infected plants

As CBC Quebec City journalistMarika Wheeler reports, producers with smaller farms have been more seriously affected by the viruses because they tend to buy locally produced seedlings to cut down on shipping costs.

The viruses are not apparent until some time after the seedlings are planted in the fields.The only solution, once farmers realize their crops areinfected, is to destroy the fields and start again.

However, because strawberry fields only get picked in the second year after planting, it can take a long time to realize the plants are infected and an even longer time before farmers can turn a profit.

"The first time you get it you think maybeyou got a bad winter, or maybe it was a bad season for the plants.You don't think you have the virus because you don't know about that.So you give another chance to the supplier, because you think maybe it was you.But we have to admit now, the problem wasn't the growers," said GuyPouliot, owned of Ferme Onsime Pouliot onled'Orlans.

Like many farmers in the strawberry-rich region, he doesn't buy his plants from Quebec nurseries anymore. That's why farmers there are having an exceptionally successful year.

In fact, producers there have been able to stock store shelves all over the province, making it appear as though there is no shortage to consumers.

Still,Pouliotis sensitive to other farmers' plight.

He said that it may be time for Quebec'sMinistry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food(MAPAQ) to step in and begin its certification program again.

MAPAQdiscontinued the program for Quebec strawberry producers in the 1990s, leaving nurseries to perform their own verification.