Sunday's storm significantly affected lakeshore communities along Lake Ontario, from Niagara County to Wayne County, impacting the apple crop. Conversations with local farmers revealed the hail accompanying the storm caused extensive damage to the apples, with one farmer reporting a loss of 250-300 acres. The hail not only bruised or cut the apples but also damaged the trees' foliage.

A farmer highlighted the urgency of treating such damage to prevent bacterial problems, stating, "Not only does it damage the fruit, it will cut the trees foliage and when that happens, it's like a cut on your body if it's not taken care of immediately with some type of 'cleaning' or spray in our wheelhouse it could be very susceptive to bacterial problems." The timing of the storm, just two weeks before the anticipated early harvest, adds to the severity of its impact on the fruit market.

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com