Roasted on the vine: Heat dome threatens NW berry harvest this summer
Blueberries from Oregon to B.C. are being baked on the bush. Raspberries too. Growers are calling the heat damage catastrophic.
Most West Coast blueberry growers were just getting ready to harvest when the heat dome hit in late June. The berries got soft, but not ripe. Some were burned from the intense sun.
The still-green berries now have brown seeds inside indicating they are sun-damaged and might fall off the bush or stop growing. Thatâs crushing news to an industry that produces more than 80% of the nation's blueberries from July through September. Growers warn it could lead to nationwide shortages later this summer.