Statistical overview of the Canadian fruit industry, 2024

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Overview

Despite a relatively short growing season, Canadian farmers produce a wide range of fruits, including apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, prunes, cherries, grapes, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, saskatoons and haskaps. Southern Ontario and southwestern British Columbia, which each enjoy about 180 frost-free days every year, produce much of the fruit grown in the country, while Quebec and the Maritimes also have significant fruit production, despite having only about 120 frost-free days per year. With farm cash receipts of close to $1.3 billion, fruits accounted for 13.1% of total farm cash receipts^{Endnote 1} for edible^{Endnote 2} horticulture in Canada in 2024.

Canadian fruit production rose by 5.2% in 2024, reaching 930,982 metric tons, which is the third highest level in a decade. The increase was led by significant rises in the production of cranberries (up 29.3%), highbush blueberries (up 38.8%), field and greenhouse strawberries (up 17.8% and 10.1% respectively) and apples (up 7.8%). In contrast, 2024 production levels were lower for grapes (-20.3%), sweet cherries (-68.7%), peaches (-19.6%), nectarines (-13.9%), sour cherries (-37.1%), apricots (-36%), pears (-5.5%) and lowbush blueberries (-10.4%).

Thanks to a surge in cranberry and lowbush blueberry production, Quebec was the top producer in 2022, accounting for 33.2% of the country’s production volume, ahead of Ontario (27.1%), and British Columbia (26.3%). Ontario came out on top in 2023, while Quebec and British Columbia experienced year‑over-year declines of 21% and 9.7%, respectively. Ideal growing conditions in 2024 led to an all-time high fruit production volume in Quebec, which accounted for 36.5% of the country’s fruit crop that year, ahead of Ontario (29.8%) and British Columbia (21.4%). Together, these 3 provinces accounted for 87.7% of Canada’s total fruit production volume in 2024, while Nova Scotia (6.6%), New Brunswick (4.0%) and Prince Edward Island (1.2%) together accounted for just under 12% of production, with small amounts of fruit produced in Newfoundland and Labrador and the Prairie provinces.

British Columbia’s fruit production reached a peak of 308,601 metric tons in 2018 and has been declining over the past 6 years due to extreme weather events. The most significant drop in fruit production occurred in 2024, when it reached its lowest level in recent memory, due to a severe cold snap event in January, with temperatures plunging to -30°C in Kelowna and parts of the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys. Following a warm start to winter, delicate buds had appeared on the trees by early January, but froze in the extreme, mid-month cold. This was one of the most devastating winter cold events in recent memory, severely damaging stone fruit trees and grape vines. The deep freeze wiped out almost all of British Columbia’s peaches, apricots and nectarines for the year and severely damaged cherry orchards. The wine industry estimates the deep-freeze event severely damaged or destroyed as much as 15% of grape vines and resulted in the loss of almost 90% of grape production.

The 2024 winter cold event in the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys resulted in the smallest crops in recent memory for most tree fruits and grapes. Production declines were seen in nectarines (down 86%), peaches (down 84%), wine grapes (down 84%), apricots (down 82%), sweet cherries (down 71%), pears (down 22%) and apples (down 7%). British Columbia’s berry production, concentrated in the Fraser Valley, fared much better. Despite smaller cranberry (down 24%) and raspberry (down 6%) crop volumes, the province’s cultivated blueberry crop saw a year-over-year increase of 41%, while the strawberry volume was up by 2%.

That was the second year in a row that the British Columbia grape and wine industry faced extensive losses due to unseasonably cold events, having lost 25% of their crop in 2023. As a result of the unprecedented 2024 cold event, the province, which is the second largest grape and wine producing region in Canada with 306 licensed grape wine wineries and generating $3.75 billion annually in economic activity, was faced with the challenge of limited grape availability. This greatly impacted production of a 2024 vintage and reduced the availability of wines produced from British Columbia grapes in 2025. In order to mitigate those challenges, the provincial government took a number of measures in 2025, including the following^{Endnote 3}:

• permitting land-based wineries to apply for a temporary exemption from the requirement in their Liquor Distribution Branch sales agreement to source 25% of their agricultural inputs from their owned or leased land;
• permitting wineries to apply to the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch for temporary waivers to the 4,500-litre minimum annual production requirement for annual licence renewals; and
• providing the industry with $26 million for grape replant programs and $92.6 million in Production Insurance and AgriStability payments through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food; and
• launching a British Columbia wine-grape-sector task force to support long-term crop resiliency.

After 4 years of consecutive drops and reaching its smallest crop in over a decade in 2023, British Columbia’s highbush blueberry crop rebounded in 2024 with a 41% year-over-year increase. While the 2024 crop volume was 2% below the 5-year average, it is the third largest crop in the last 5 years, with British Columbia accounting for 94% of Canada’s highbush blueberry crop in 2024. The cool, wet weather from April to June led to a staggered bloom across varieties and regions. Heat in July, which led to premature ripening, was followed by heavy rains in late August and September that impacted fruit quality. Harvest of late-season varieties such as Elliott started later than in previous years and continued through to the end of September and early October. Overall, while yields were high, fruit quality was variable with more of the mid-season blueberry crop going to processing than originally planned.^{Endnote 4} Scorch virus symptoms continued to be widespread that season, with symptoms slightly more evident compared with 2023. In 2024, Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) levels were lower than during the 2023 season, with overall low levels of larvae found in harvested fruit as well.^{Endnote 5}

While British Columbia, the second largest cranberry producing province behind Quebec, had its smallest cranberry crop in the last 5 years, the 2024 crop was almost at the same level as the 5-year average. Given the large volume of production in 2023 (60,118 metric tons), which was the highest level in more than a decade, the province’s growers may have hoped for a similar performance in 2024, but the warm, dry summer led to a smaller crop (45,988 metric tons), as well as reduced fruit quality.

British Columbia’s apple crop continued to decline for the fifth consecutive year, making the 2024 crop the smallest one in recent years. It fell by 7.1% to 63,538 metric tons and is 25.6% below the 5‑year average. The smaller crop is the result of damage caused by the winter freeze in January 2024 in conjunction with mid-April frost to -5°C in some areas and extreme heat in July (35°C to 40°C). Some growers also experienced quality losses due to significant hail damage in mid-September. The challenging situation faced by the province’s apple growers was further exacerbated by the closure of the British Columbia Tree Fruit Cooperative, the largest tree fruit packer in the province.

Ontario’s fruit production decreased by 4.1% to reach 277,445 metric tons in 2024, its second highest level in the last 5 years, mainly because of smaller grape (down 9.5%), apple (down 2.4%) and sour cherry (down 38.2%) crops. The province’s grape and wine industry, which accounts for the largest share of Canada’s production, had an estimated 2024 wine grape crop production of 68,086 metric tons, which is 3.6% below the 5-year average. Despite the weather variability and harvesting delays, the season produced an excellent vintage.^{Endnote 5} On July 31, 2024, the Grape Growers of Ontario negotiated a 1-year wine grape (classes 5-10G) price agreement with Ontario Craft Wineries and Wine Growers Ontario, resulting in overall price increases of 1.67%. On August 21, 2024, a one-year agreement was reached with Wine Growers Ontario for classes 1, 2 and 3 with overall price increases of 1.67%.^{Endnote 5}

After producing its largest apple crop in a decade in 2023, the Ontario apple crop fell slightly in 2024 to reach 161,641 metric tons, representing a 2.4% year-over-year decline, but still 6.2% above the 5‑year average. Ontario remains Canada’s largest apple-producing province, accounting for close to 42% of the country’s apple crop in 2024.

Canada is a net importer of apples. Apple prices in Canada are influenced to a large degree by the volume and price of imports from the U.S. (mostly from the states of Washington, New York and Michigan). Over the last 5 crop years (2018/19–2022/23), Canada had a trade deficit of 152,261 metric tons in fresh apples (196,946 metric tons of imports vs 44,685 metric tons of exports). In any given year, over 80% of Canada’s fresh apple imports come from the U.S., with close to 80% coming from Washington state. The high levels of apple inventories in the U.S. during the 2023–2024 marketing year led to a decline in apple prices both in the U.S. and here in Canada, as a result of lower prices for imports. According to Ontario Apple Growers (OAG), market pressures, inflation, increased production costs and reduced consumption are all impacting the apple sector. The OAG board continues to examine the market and the impact of imports into the marketplace and has hired a third-party consultant to conduct market analysis and develop a report on the impact that imports have on the marketplace.^{Endnote 6}

Ontario, which grows most of Canada’s tender fruits, saw increased production volumes for pears, plums and prunes, while sour cherries, peaches and nectarines experienced declines. Bud break in 2024 was almost 2 weeks ahead of the previous year, followed by a late April freeze, resulting in some localized damage, especially to apricots and early ripening varieties of peach and nectarine. Peach volumes were comparable to those in 2023, while the pear crop increased significantly with timely rains and was the largest crop since 2008. The Ontario Tender Fruit Growers reports “a perfect growing season for plums, with Japanese plum volumes the largest on recent record.”^{Endnote 7}

Quebec’s fruit production volume increased by almost 40% to reach an all-time high of 340,099 metric tons in 2024. Ideal growing conditions resulted in the largest crop for almost all of the major fruit crops grown in the province. The apple crop volume was up almost 40% year-over-year, making the 2024 crop of 118,157 metric tons the province’s largest apple crop ever. Similarly, a 66% surge in the cranberry crop made the 2024 crop of 154,288 metric tons the largest on record. With year-over-year increases of 20.7% and 33.2% respectively, Quebec’s strawberry and raspberry crops were the largest crops in the last 5 years. Despite the province’s 2024 lowbush blueberry crop being down by 3.1%, it was the province’s second largest crop ever, only 3.1% shy of the record crop of 2023. With a crop volume of 43,997 metric tons, which is 26% above the 5-year average, Quebec accounted for almost 47% of the country’s total production in 2024 and remained the top lowbush blueberry producing province.

Quebec is also the country’s leading producer of cranberries, accounted for almost 73% of Canada’s cranberry production in 2024. According to the APCQ [Quebec Cranberry Growers Association], the 2024 increase in production is largely due to the very high yields of 26,000 pounds per acre obtained in conventional mode, which far exceeds the average yield of 22,200 pounds per acre obtained for the previous 4 years. Quebec is also the world’s largest producer of organic cranberries, with 17.5% of the area under cranberry cultivation dedicated to organic production in 2024, compared with 21.5% in the previous year.

Fruit production in Atlantic Canada was down by 3.5% in 2024 to 111,350 metric tons, mostly due to a 16% drop in lowbush blueberry production across the Maritimes. Wild blueberries have a 2-year growth cycle with a sprout year followed by a crop year. The fields that came into production in 2024 were exposed to extreme cold winter temperatures and excessive rainfall in 2023, which impacted bud development and resulted in an unusual growth pattern in the 2024 crop with significant impacts on total marketable production. A lack of precipitation in 2024 led to drought in some areas, hindering full berry growth. Production in New Brunswick, which accounts for almost half of the lowbush blueberry crop in the Atlantic provinces, fell by 18.4% to 24,076 metric tons, while production in Nova Scotia fell by 21.7% to 16,340 metric tons and production in Prince Edward Island (PEI) was up by 4.9% to 9,460 metric tons. Wild blueberries are dependent on bee pollination and higher than normal hive overwintering losses affected the availability of pollinators. Disease and insect pressure (Spotted Wing Drosophila) were also important factors affecting crop yield in 2024. The current demand for pollination services exceeds the total supply of pollinators available, and it is anticipated to increase as fields mature and additional acreage comes into production. For the first time in 2024, in PEI, imported honey bee colonies from Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia outnumbered resident colonies used for wild blueberry pollination. Another challenge was the low price of wild blueberries in 2023 and 2024.

In 2024, perennial crops were still recovering from damage suffered in February 2023, when Nova Scotia experienced a significant cold snap due to a polar vortex. The extreme cold, with temperatures dipping to ‑25°C in some areas, resulted in significant bud damage and crop losses for grapes, fruit trees – particularly stone fruit – and other cold-sensitive crops such as strawberries and raspberries. Vinifera grape vines, including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, suffered significant damage from the polar vortex: about one third need to be replaced and another third need long-term management to recover. 

The apple sector continues to grow in the Maritimes, with the addition of more high-density orchards. Significant investments have also been made in post-harvest infrastructure in recent years, including the establishment of 2 controlled atmosphere storage units and a washing/packing facility in PEI and the addition in 2024 of more controlled atmosphere storage in Nova Scotia to provide additional capacity for premium fresh and commercial-grade processing fruit.

With a production volume of 386,368 metric tons, apples continued to lead the fruit sector in terms of tonnage, accounting for 41.5% of the total production of Canadian fruit in 2024. Blueberries were the second most important fruit crop in terms of production volume, reaching 165,608 metric tons in 2024 (94,111 metric tons for lowbush blueberries and 71,497 metric tons for highbush blueberries), followed by cranberries (211,790  metric tons), grapes (79,478 metric tons), strawberries (33,661 metric tons), peaches (16,914 metric tons), pears (8,830 metric tons) and sweet cherries (7,008 metric tons). 

Canada is the fourth largest commercial producer of blueberries in the world, behind China, the United States and Peru. The industry has a fully integrated production and processing supply chain using modern production practices and processing technologies. Lowbush blueberries are native to Eastern and Atlantic Canada, with commercial production limited to the provinces of Quebec, which accounted for 46.8% of the country’s production in 2024, New Brunswick (25.6%), Nova Scotia (17.4%) and PEI (10%), while British Columbia accounts for the bulk (94%) of Canada’s highbush blueberry production. Over 98% of Canada’s lowbush blueberry crop is processed or individually quick-frozen for sale to the retail market (for example, frozen consumer packs) and to the wholesale market, where the fruit is used by food processors, hotels, restaurants and institutions in a wide variety of processed food products. In contrast, only 50% to 60% of the high-bush blueberry crop is destined for the frozen and processing markets, while 40% to 50% of the crop is sold fresh.

Canada is the second largest producer of cranberries after the United States. Quebec and British Columbia together accounted for almost 95% of Canada’s cranberry crop in 2024, while New Brunswick is the third largest cranberry-producing province and produced 3.7% of Canada’s crop. Quebec is currently not only Canada’s largest cranberry-producing province, accounting for almost 61% of the country’s planted acreage, but also the largest producer of organic cranberries in the world. 

Given Canada’s northern latitude and short growing season, the country is highly dependent on imports to satisfy the growing domestic demand for fruits throughout the year. While Canada accounts for less than 0.5% of global fruit exports, it was the world’s seventh largest fruit-importing country in 2024, accounting for 3.6% of global fruit imports. As a result, Canada’s fresh and frozen fruit trade deficit has been steadily growing, reaching an all-time high of almost $7.2 billion in 2024. Canada’s fresh and frozen fruit exports have grown by 21.2% over the last 5 years to reach $1.1 billion in 2024, while its fresh and frozen fruit imports have increased by 23.9% during the same time to reach their highest level of over $8.2 billion in 2024. The impressive growth in Canada’s fruit exports over the last 5 years is mainly due to a surge in exports of strawberries (enjoying a fourfold increase), apples (up 62%) and blueberries (up 29%), With a little over $695 million in exports, blueberries continue to be Canada’s top fruit export and accounted for 65% of the country’s fruit export value in 2024, followed by apples (6.5%), cranberries (5%), strawberries (4.4%) and raspberries (1.4%). The U.S. remains Canada’s top export destination, absorbing 72% of Canadian fruit exports in 2024, while other major export markets include Japan (5.4%), Germany (3.4%), the Netherlands (2.6%) and China (2.1%).

1.5. Total fruit production volume — 10-year trend

Note: Does not include greenhouse strawberries, as greenhouse strawberry production data is only available for the last 5 years.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0364-01 Estimates, production and farm gate value of fresh and processed fruits