British Columbia- Cold weather puts damper on berry crop

CTV British Columbia- Cold weather puts damper on berry crop - CTV News, Shows and Sports -- Canadian Television

The Lower Mainland's unseasonably cold, wet weather has put a damper on B.C.'s strawberry crop.

Berries that should be thick and juicy on the vine aren't ready to be picked this late in June -- two and a half weeks after they are usually ready.

"This is only the second time we've opened this late," said Rhonda Driediger, who has worked in the fields in the Fraser Valley since she was a child.

It's in sharp contrast to 2004, when hot temperatures in April produced a bumper crop -- with pickers starting as early as May.

At the time, some growers were worried it was too hot -- and the warming trend might last for years.