South Okanagan orchardists are used to putting up with whatever Mother Nature throws their way, but Monday’s hail storm was particularly harmful.

Hail storm Monday has orchardists dealing with severely damaged fruit crops early in the 2014 growing season.

“Everything got hit hard, but it’s most noticeable with the cherries and apples,” said Harj Dhillon, who has a 15-acre orchard, just north of Oliver.

Glen Lucas, general manager of the BC Fruit Growers Association, said some orchardists in the Oliver and Osoyoos area were hit but its too early to estimate the damage in $$$.

The fruit growers have to file a notice of claim when they’ve had damage, and then the production insurance branch of the BC Ministry of Agriculture will decide based on severity.

Dhillon estimates he lost 100 percent of his apple crop, 70 to 80 percent of his cherries, and 70 to 80 percent of his peaches, in the storm that lasted around 15 minutes.

Compounding the situation to make it even more difficult, Dhillon also experienced a 100 percent loss to his apple crop from hail storms last year.

Iqbal Deol,  who has a 10-acre orchard on Road 2, just south of Oliver, said all of his apples are gone and some of his cherries and peaches will recover, but others won’t.

While the trees are OK, the fruit sustained holes and bumps from the hail.

files from Castanet