BRINGS A NEW AID PACKAGE FOR GROWERS

“The Perennial Crop Renewal Program will help to ensure that growers are implementing best practices for sustainable winegrape production and regenerative agriculture, proven innovations and technologies, and planting clean, virus-free material,” Wise said. “We are pleased that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food is supporting us with a program that will strengthen our industry for years to come.”

Of course, it’s not just the grape growers and winemakers who have been adversely impacted by global warming. BC’s booming cherry industry has also been hampered in recent years by adverse weather events, and the berry growers in the Fraser Valley suffered greatly from increased numbers of pests in their fields, and by the devastating floods in 2021.

“The announcement of the Perennial Crop Renewal Program is wonderful news for BC’s berry sector,” said David Mutz, a berry farmer and director on the BC Agriculture Council. “It will see the continuation of raspberry replant, which has successfully been helping re-invigorate the BC raspberry industry.

The new crop removal stream will also be very important to maintaining the success of the BC blueberry industry, which is currently facing heavy virus and disease pressure in some fields, which put newer and uninfected fields at risk.”

Sukhpaul Bal, president of the BC Cherry Association, says his members are relieved to see help on the way to deal with the challenges brought by climate change.

“Our growers are adapting to the ever-changing climate, and this investment will give our members the confidence to make the necessary changes on-farm to remain competitive in local and global markets,” Bal said. “Having the renewal program open to various crops throughout B.C. is vital, as it encourages crop diversity, which will make B.C.’s food security more resilient in the future.”

In the case of cherries, the issue is all the more vital as the fruit is facing high and rapidly growing demand in foreign markets, such as China and most recently South Korea. Those markets are taking all the BC cherries they can get, at attractive prices, but losses due to weather events is eating into the farmers’ bottom line.

Another sector that will see new funding is BC hazelnut growers, who typically have not enjoyed a great deal of replant support in the past. This time out the hazelnut growers are specifically included in the Perennial Crop Renewal Program.

“B.C.’s hazelnut sector is being revitalized, thanks to programs like this, which support our growers with planting disease-resistant trees and help the industry become more sustainable and resilient,” said Zachary Fleming, the president of the BC Hazelnut Growers Association. “Through the Perennial Crop Renewal Program, we look forward to seeing greater production and more market opportunities for the sector, which will ensure a bright future for B.C. hazelnuts.”

However, while those working in the agriculture sector universally agreed on the need for the program, some believe the funding amount is not sufficient for the scale of the challenge.

Al Hudec, a lawyer who specializes in advising wineries, and splits his time between Vancouver and the Okanagan Valley, said he is “underwhelmed” by the funding announcement.

“The funding is extremely limited relative to the need,” Hudec said in an open letter to the Kelowna news outlet Castanet. “The program provides for only $15 million to be shared by raspberry, blueberry, cranberry, hazelnut, and tree fruit growers. Nova Scotia recently announced a similar program with $15 million dedicated to grape growers only, in a province that has less than onetenth the vineyard acreage.”

Hudec also notes that applications from grape growers will be deferred for a year, with priority given to raspberry and hazelnut farmers. Grape growers will be able to begin applying in April, 2024, with coverage provided for 75% of nursery plant costs and new trellising, to a maximum of $300,000 per farm.

“Relative to the challenges faced by the B.C. wine industry due to climate change and shifting consumer preferences, the province’s response is totally inadequate,” Hudec argues. “It fails to recognize the fundamental importance of the wine industry as a driver of rural prosperity, economic activity and agri-tourism.”

That said, most agricultural organizations were quick to applaud the government’s new direction. Glen Lucas, the general manager of the BC Fruit Growers Association, says the program looks very encouraging thus far, although he notes not all the details are finalized just yet.

“Funding and timelines are very encouraging for growers that can take advantage of the Perennial Crop Renewal Program over the next two to three years, until the funding is fully allocated,” Lucas said. “It is expected the criteria in the Planting stream will be more extensive, and that the level of grants will be higher than previous programs.”

While the details of the program are being finalized, there is a great deal of information for growers to learn about in the coming month. The Investment Agriculture Founda- tion has helpfully created a detailed outline of the program, the eligibility requirements, a description of the various funding opportunities or ‘streams’, and a timeline for the various application deadlines.

You can find that information at this link: https://iafbc.ca/pcrp/