This year's raspberry crop is looking very good, says grower

It's shaping up to be a good season for Island raspberry growers.

The season is at its peak and Allan Coffin,owner ofCoffin's Berry Farm in Pisquid, P.E.I., said it's one of the best in recent years.

"As compared to the last three or four years, we have a very good crop this year," he said.

"We're quite pleased and we want to thank nature for that."

Right amount of moisture

Coffin saida mild winter, warm spring and just the right amount of moisture are all behind the good crop.

In previous years, he said, nature hasn't been so kind.

"[You] hope and pray to God that when your crop matures, that you don't have torrential rains or a vicious rainstorm which can wipe out your crop, which happened two years ago," he said.

"And we've lost two or three years, we lost fifty per cent of our crop overnight due to heavy rains."

Keeping up with demand

That's not a worry for Coffin or other Island growersthis year.

He said there are finally enough berries to keep up with demand.

"This is the first year probably in the last three that we were able to commit raspberries every day, besides our u-pick going," he said.

"I'm on the road every day, going to the same locations I take strawberries too."

Good or bad, Coffin said, raspberry growers across the province usually have similar crop conditions and this year isn't any different.

"All things that I've heard thus far is positive and that people are happy with their crop," he said.

The raspberry season on P.E.I. wraps up in about two weeks.

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