SAN DIEGO — Recent rains have had an impact on local crops and farmers, both in positive and harmful ways.

“The damage that was done was limited, it’s limited to the crop that’s being harvested,” said Neil Nagata, the president and owner of Nagata Brothers Farms in Oceanside.

Nagata is referring to their strawberries and cherimoyas during the recent rains.

“Just like if you leave your hands soaked in a bathtub, your skin is going to peel. The same thing happens to strawberries. When they get damaged, the rain actually hurts them, and so the fruit that’s ripe will get impacted,” Nagata said.

Nagata Brothers Farms sits on 160 acres producing strawberries, blueberries and cherimoyas in Oceanside. Nagata said they welcome the rain with its natural benefits to the crops, like cleaning salt out of imported or well water they use.

After losing fruit because of too much rain, it sets them back for about a week, with possible consequences such as decreased availability and fresh strawberries.

Nagata added, “also impacts what we are delivery to the marketplace and just keeps the prices higher,”

Nagata said the back step does not last too long.

“Then there is green fruit right behind, and then fruit and flowers behind. So within a week we will be clean of any of the damage and we will be ready to go,” Nagata said.