The government will provide $10 million in payments to tree fruit growers
British Columbia’s provincial government is providing one-time support payments to tree fruit growers.
Agriculture and Food Minister Lana Popham announced the government is setting aside $10 million to support eligible growers affected by crop loss and market issues through The Tree Fruit Climate Change Response Fund.
“These past years have been very challenging for B.C. tree fruit farmers, and we want to make sure they are ready for this season and seasons to come,” Popham said in a statement. “We want farmers to be successful and this $10 million will help them rebuild to ensure a resilient, sustainable future for B.C.’s tree fruit industry.”
About 720 producers will be eligible for payments on a per-acre basis, up to a maximum of 70 acres.
Farmers can use the money to invest in tools, training, or farm improvement. Recipients can also use the payments for farm debt repayment or farm wages.
Tree fruit producers in B.C. have had a challenging time recently.
In early 2024, for example, a deep freeze wiped out cherries, peaches, plums and nectarines.
“Out of about eight or 10 different locations in the valley, we saw every one with those samples showed 100 per cent bud kill,” Frank Wloka, owner of Wloka Farms Fruit Stand, told Global News in February 2024.
The BC Fruit Growers’ Association (BCFGA) has lobbied the government to support its members.
These support payments are an example of that work, said Peter Simonsen, president of the BCFGA.
"This $10-million, one-time payment from the Province recognizes the resilience and dedication of our farmers and their families, but also is a testament to the relentless advocacy and efforts of the BC Fruit Growers’ Association on their behalf,” he said in a statement.
Details on the rollout and the next steps for producers to apply for payments are still in development. More information is expected in the coming weeks, the provincial government says.