MORDEN, Man. – The meeting room was already packed and more people were trying to squeeze in. For Anthony Mintenko, it was a welcome sight.
“I was impressed at the number of people and the number of young people there,” said Mintenko, Manitoba Agriculture’s fruit crops specialist.
“I think that bodes well.”
The meeting was held in early July to talk about opportunities in growing saskatoons. It drew together provincial agricultural staff, established saskatoon growers and producers who are either dabbling in the industry or thinking about planting their first orchard.
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In terms of harvested acres, saskatoons are the second largest commercial fruit crop grown in Manitoba, surpassed only by strawberries. The commercial value of saskatoons harvested in the province in 2004 was $2.3 million.
“Saskatoons are native and unique to the Prairies, so we’re not going to have production from Poland or elsewhere undercutting the price,” said Mintenko, citing one of the advantages of that crop for Manitoba.
“I can foresee a day not too far in the future that saskatoons will surpass strawberries.”
Alison Timmerman was among those at the Morden meeting. She and her husband Dale started a saskatoon orchard 10 years ago as a sideline to their regular jobs.
“It’s not an easy go,” she said in an interview at her home near Treherne, Man. “It’s pretty labour intensive.”
The Timmermans now have five acres in saskatoon production. Customers can pick the berries themselves or have them pre-picked. The Timmermans freeze surplus production for sale to a processor.
Dale remembers picking wild saskatoon berries with his mother when he was a child. He and Alison now regard their orchard as a long-term venture that their daughters can be involved with.
The industry is becoming more sophisticated, and efforts continue to build offshore markets. The future hinges on sharing the benefits between growers and processors, Dale said.
“We need the processors and I think the processors need the growers. Both sides have to remain profitable if the industry is going to advance.”
Manitoba has about 100 saskatoon growers, including hobby and commercial ventures. The potential for a return on investment from a commercial orchard is “pretty good,” said Mintenko, but it takes careful planning before starting an orchard and people need to realize that it requires a long-term commitment.
It takes a few years for a saskatoon orchard to get well established. However, it can then produce for 30 or more years.
“This is one of those industries that’s just on the verge of becoming more mainstream,” Mintenko said.
