Theyre filling strollers: Inflation leading to theft at Ontario apple farms [Video]

As an Ontario apple grower, Melissa Downey is hoping for a better year.

The sector, which is now in prime season, is trying to recover from a poor 2023, a season the Ontario Apple Growers association describes as “beyond tough.”

Farms like Downey’s Strawberry and Apple Farm in Caledon, Ont., have tried to keep their prices respectable, but as inflation and food insecurity continues to be felt, they worry a rebound year could be out of sight.

“There is a different set of challenges when you’re welcoming visitors into a farm. We don’t have an admission charge because we are trying to encourage guests to pick a certain amount of apples per person,” Downey told Global News.

“We find people eating unlimited (apples) out in the field even when we ask them not to. They’re filling strollers, overfilling bags, they’re in their pockets, everywhere.”

Economic struggles, a mass importation of …