From the Hill: BC Orchards need our governments to rally
By Dick Cannings MP
The tree fruit industry is an iconic part of the economy in the southern Interior of BC, particularly in the Okanagan Valley. Bowls of sweet black cherries, juicy fresh peaches and bright red apples have always brought visitors and a good way of life to the region. But it has never been easy for the orchardists, who have always struggled against fierce competition from the huge operations in Washington State. Until recently they have always managed to find innovative ways to stay ahead of the game—new varieties such as Ambrosia apples and Lapins cherries, new orchard designs with intensive plantings, and new markets in Asia. But the recent announcement of the imminent closure of the BC Tree Fruits cooperative is likely the biggest challenge yet for the local fruit industry.
I grew up on a small apple orchard and learned first-hand how hard it was to make a living in the sector—there was constant work (and chores for me!) through the year: pruning, spraying, thinning, mowing, picking and in those early days, the daily chore of changing sprinklers. Profits were almost always small and unpredictable, and as the opportunity to switch to more lucrative crops such as grapes for the burgeoning wine industry presented themselves, the area under tree fruit production steadily shrank.
Declining local production put more pressure on the marketing side of the sector, and two recent harsh winter freezes have added further disruption. Growers face stress and uncertainty, including not even knowing who they can sell this year’s crop to, or whether they will be able to sell it at all. We also need to face head on the impacts of climate change on our farmers. If food security is important to us and we want to see fruit as a centre of our local economy and identity for generations to come, we need to act now.
Last week, Premier Eby visited Penticton to announce a suite of supports to growers that will help get fruit to market right now as well as to prepare for extreme weather in the future. The regulatory actions and over $20 million in program funding were welcomed by farmers. Currently, the fate of the Cooperative is with the courts as they have entered creditor protection. Our provincial government has committed to doing everything they can through support initiatives that would make the infrastructure of the cooperative available to grower to help with harvest and storage.
But the tree fruit sector also needs prompt action from the federal government. I have therefor written to the federal Minister for Agriculture, Lawrence MacAulay, asking him to take the actions needed. Firstly, growers who participate in the federally funded Advance Payment Loan Program (APP) need an immediate two-year stay of default for those currently unable to repay their 2024 loans, as well as additional flexibility on loan repayment dates to alleviate cash flow challenges.
I’ve also asked for improvements to the Business Risk Management Programs to raise compensation rates and payment caps, expand eligible expenses, and provide better supports for growers when they experience year over year catastrophes. Currently, the insurance compensation farmers get is based on previous year’s income. With bad year after bad year, our farmers are surviving on a small percentage of what an average year income should be.
To address the long-term support farmers need, I have also asked the our Federal government to step up to match BC’s new expanded replant program.
One of the most important federal tasks is to complete a comparison of subsidies that orchardists in the United States receive from their governments, and implement changes as needed. Our farmers are some of the best in the world, but they simply can’t compete in a trade environment that is stacked against them.
This is a critical moment for farmers in BC and we need all levels of government to pitch in. Here in BC we are at the epicentre of the climate crisis and it is incumbent on Canada’s government to respond with measures that match the gravity of that crisis.
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