Actualidad nacional e internacional
Jun. 22, 2023Frutillas/California: confirman pérdidas por US$ 100 millones por mal tiempo
You can blame California’s wild winter for all sorts of havoc this spring and summer: moldy, leaking roofs, plagues of mosquitoes, cabin fever.
Giant, less-flavorful strawberries also deserve a spot on that list.
California produces 90% of the nation’s strawberries, which typically enjoy a growing season that starts as early as January and lasts until July. Peak season usually begins in March. But this year, thanks to a series of deadly atmospheric rivers this winter and spring, a deluge of rain flooded the state’s strawberry fields in Watsonville and Salinas, washing away two to three months of the season. Earlier reports this year have estimated $200 million in damage to crops, property and equipment. The California Strawberry Commission confirmed at least $100 million in crop loss.
“We lost 1,300 acres of strawberries. We are delayed. Even fields that have not been flooded have been delayed about two months,” said Mark Bolda, a farm advisor in Santa Clara County who specializes in strawberries and caneberries.
As the unseasonably cool weather continued, recovery was slow. Damaged plants had smaller leaves to absorb sunlight and photosynthesize. And with more cloud cover and less sunlight, the plants retained excess water and stored energy in starch reserves, affecting both their size and their flavor.
full article: https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-06-19/what-happened-strawberries-spring-weather
LATimes/June 19, 2023
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