A “anti-hail cannon” could be a Canadian first, as a Quebec apple orchard says the device could protect its crops from icy weather.
The cannon has been deployed at Verger des Bois-Francs southeast of Montreal by Maxime Brie. Hail has long been an agriculture producer nightmare as it can bring significant crop damage.
“For sure it has millions of dollars of loss when we get hit by hail,” he told Global News in an interview.
When hail falls, the fourth-generation apple grower says the icy precipitation can ruin his entire year. The damaged fruits need to be turned into juice or sauce after being damaged, which he said can cause profits to plummet.
To protect against it, the family decided to get one of the specialized devices.
“One cannon … can protect up to 80 hectares of land,” he said.
Anti-hail cannons aren’t a new invention for farming, having originated in Europe but are now manufactured in various countries such as New Zealand and Germany.
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The Spanish-made one used by Brie is one that he claims has never been used in Canada before. The device cost them $160,000.
They work by causing controlled explosions near the base that then blast shockwaves into the air, which turn hail into harmless water.
By being connected to a weather station run by SPAG, with meteorologists monitoring conditions at all times from a facility in Brazil, it allows the device to better respond to storms.
“Before they start the cannon, they’re always going to write us on their WhatsApp Group to make sure, ‘OK, I’m going to start the cannon in maybe 10 minutes, there’s a storm approaching,’” Brie said.
It then sends shock waves into the sky every seven seconds to ensure no hail will fall on their property.
Some anti-hail cannons require a person turning it on, which can delay a response to a storm. But if SPAG does miss something, Brie said he can activate the cannon himself by sending a text message.
The device is not without some issues, mostly noise as it can be loud when sending out the shockwaves. It has an outer metal cylinder to reduce the noise, but Brie said he’s hopeful his neighbours understand the device is necessary given changing weather conditions due to climate change.
“We are adapting ourselves to make sure that we’re going to be resilient over the years,” he said.
The amount of rain and heat seen this summer has Quebec apple growers saying the harvest could be abundant, but it’s why Brie stressed having the anti-hail cannon to protect the fruits is even more important with a good yield expected.
—with files from Global News’ Dan Spector
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