Okanagan farmers pleading for provincial help in wake of BC Tree Fruits closure

The Okanagan Valley is known for producing fruit.

It’s been a struggle for farmers recently, however, owed to biology factors.

Factor successful BC Tree Fruits’ astonishing announcement past week that it was closing, and that endeavour is now tougher than ever.

With BC Tree Fruits nary longer accepting section fruit, area farmers are now nether unit to find caller ways to get their products to market.

“We person to thief our farmers today,” said Amarjit Singhlalli, an Okanagan orchardist and a erstwhile BC Tree Fruits committee member. “Otherwise, we’re going to suffer our mini family farms.”

Chiming successful was leader Kevin Falcon, leader of nan BC United Party.

“These are highly technologically precocious accommodation that are going to disappear, putting farmers successful a position wherever galore will suffer their farms,” Falcon said.

BC Tree Fruits had been successful cognition since 1936. In a letter, nan cooperative said that debased estimated consequence yields and difficult financial conditions were nan main factors successful its determination to close.

However, conflict has been brewing for immoderate clip betwixt BC Tree Fruits and farmers. Those issues came to a boiling constituent past twelvemonth erstwhile growers requested changes to nan cooperative.

“They had been asking for changes to come,” Singhlalli told Global News.

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“So, they fundamentally said ‘You cognize what? We’re not giving you our estimates.’ And nan committee said ‘OK, we’re going to return our shot and spell home.’”

Many growers are now pushing for authorities support, though Agriculture Minister Pam Alexis says nan state tin only do truthful overmuch erstwhile it comes to nan co-op.

In a statement, nan curate told Global News that while nan state has nary authority to return complete nan committee astatine this time, ministry unit are consulting pinch growers to find different options to get their consequence to market.

Singhlalli says options are constricted and “there is nary capacity for packers successful nan vale to battalion 60,000 tons.”

With fewer resources disposable to battalion their fruit, Singhlalli says immoderate growers whitethorn beryllium forced to wantonness their crops astatine nan tallness of nan increasing season.

Singhlalli says farmers want their losses covered by harvest insurance, adding, “There is simply a batch of worldly to do successful nan background.”