From coast to coast, Canadian apple growers are beaming with the prospect of favourable winds blowing through their orchards this summer. 

“I’m so optimistic right now about the 2025 season,” says Brian Rideout, Manitree Fruit Farms, Blenheim, Ontario, referring to 250 acres of apples, peaches, pears, tart and sweet cherries in his micro-climate north of Lake Erie. “We have a very nice crop on the farm. We had a real winter, and northern crops need a winter.”

Like other Ontario apple growers, he’s talking not only about the weather but also the trade winds. A year ago, Rideout was worried about the high volume of Ontario apples coming on stream due to ongoing transition to high-density orchards. It takes about seven years to recover planting costs, and many of his trees are now starting to produce apple quality and size at the high end of the pay grade. “In some varieties, we’re producing an extra 10 bins/acre which equals another 8,000 pounds.”

The rise in Ontario’s quantity and quality is a happy contrast to what’s going on south of the border. 

“We are an importing nation for apples,” says Rideout, referring to the annual wave of apples arriving from Washington State each year. “But other countries and states have also invested in infrastructure. I went to the US Apple convention in Chicago in August 2024, realizing for the first time that states other than Washington – Ohio, North Carolina, Minnesota and Wisconsin – have grown their industries too. And each state is very protective of its sector.” 

Last year’s worry that imported apples would flood Canadian grocery stores has been shelved, at least for the time being. The U.S. trade war launched in early March 2025 has upended not only trading patterns but consumer buying patterns. Canadian retailers are responding to a grassroots “buy local, buy Canadian movement” by stocking just one or two U.S. varieties while filling shelves with Canadian-grown apples. Stories abound from British Columbia to Nova Scotia that demand for local, controlled-atmosphere apples has increased significantly, depleting growers’ storage inventories much faster than previous years. 

“I personally think it’s all positive,” says Chris Hedges, chair of Ontario Apple Growers. “There has been much more rapid movement of apples. This year is reminding me of a COVID year.” 

The Ontario apple industry has rationalized dramatically over the last 30 years. A sector comprised of 300 growers on 30,000 acres has downsized to 200 growers on 15,000 acres, at best. Adding valuable context, Hedges goes on to say, “We are currently harvesting the very best fruit and delivering top-notch product to consumers.” 

 

Historically, Ontario has not exported apples to the U.S. in great quantities. By contrast, the Maritimes has used a combination of a favourable currency exchange and seasonal timing to build a market for its Honeycrisp variety with a stable base of American customers. David Parrish, CEO, Scotian Gold Cooperative, Coldbrook, Nova Scotia, explains that the Annapolis Valley’s unique climate has allowed 50 family-owned operations to produce a high-quality Honeycrisp apple valued by U.S. clients to fill end-of-season demand. 

“The cooperative handles 60 per cent of the apples grown in Atlantic Canada,” says Parrish. “That includes Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, which supplies the biggest portion.” Scotian Gold apples being sold into the United States are trucked across various border crossings. 

“Most of our apples are destined to the major Canadian retailers, although we also export a bit to the Caribbean and southeast Asia through the ports of Halifax, Nova Scotia and Saint John, New Brunswick. 

“At our Coldbrook facilities, we have the storage and pre-sorting systems to make this happen,” says Parrish, admitting the cooperative felt the sting of U.S. tariffs for the three days in early March 2025.

Okanagan-based Gord Morrison, senior director of sales, Consolidated Fruit Packers (CFP) a division of Star Produce Ltd., shares that domestic demand for BC-grown apples and pears has drastically increased across western Canada since the launch of the trade war. 

“We’ve been able to sell out our Ambrosia crop nearly two months earlier than previously planned,” says Morrison, based in Kelowna, BC. “We have a lot of great growers in the Okanagan who produce exceptional quality.”

Other BC apple varieties marketed by CFP include Gala, Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Granny Smith and Pink Lady. Looking ahead to the summer season, Morrison says, “BC growers anticipate a good crop of BC cherries and stone fruits. We’re feeling optimistic that increased demand from Canadian retailers will continue through the summer fruits and into next apple season. We think there will be a lasting effect of Canadian retailers looking for Canadian product.”  

Back in Ontario, Kirk Kemp, president, Algoma Orchards at Newcastle, is realistic about the risks and opportunities ahead. He has 1,500 acres of apples, 70 per cent of which are in Ambrosia, Gala, and Honeycrisp varieties. He notes that overall, consumption has been down in apples due to so many other fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, that are available year-round. Global competition is fierce in the fruit category, and at $2 to $3 per pound, apples aren’t the bargain they once were.

That said, in key Canadian apple-growing regions, over the last decade, growers have invested in consumer-pleasing varieties, high-density orchards and the management skills to harvest and store. Canada’s apple growers are positioned to meet the moment.

Of course, none of this is either surprising or good news to Washington State apple growers facing the double whammy of Canadian consumer resistance to U.S.-grown produce and widespread foreign market pushback on U.S. tariffs. 

The U.S. Apple Association’s website states:

“Maintaining competitiveness through international trade is a top policy priority for the U.S. Apple Association and its members. While not all growers export, everyone’s revenue is impacted by exports, so trade is critical to the healthy future of the entire industry. Historically, about one-third of the apple crop has been destined for export with a value of about $1 billion annually.”

Commenting on American apple exports, Chris Hedges observes that Washington State growers have invested heavily in a state-bred apple called Cosmic Crisp. It’s a cross between Enterprise and Honeycrisp. With 12,000 acres planted and expectations of 21 million boxes by 2026, U.S. growers are promoting it heavily, including in Canada. Witness the expensive outdoor superboard along a major freeway in Montreal during Fresh Week, the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association. But perhaps big budgets are no longer enough. 

“This is a wake-up call for Canada,” says Kemp. “We can be a force to be reckoned with and we need to unleash our potential. I’m 66 years old and I’m fired up about the opportunity.”

So, will Canadian consumers find the new Cosmic Crisp out of this world?  Or just not find it on the shelf.