Extreme Weather Brings New Aid Package

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The BC government will provide up to $15 million for a new program to help farmers adapt to climate change and extreme weather events.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food announced on Sunday, May 30, the creation of the Perennial Crop Renewal Program. Much of the funding will be directed to help farmers with a replanting program, replacing current vines and fruit trees with varietals that can better withstand extreme heat or cold.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Pam Alexis says the PCRP is designed to revitalize the hazelnut, grape, berry, and tree-fruit industries, all of which have suffered through climate-caused disasters such as flooding, heat waves, extreme cold events and wildfires.

“The Perennial Crop Renewal Program is about renewal and ensuring our farmers are profitable and have sustainable production in the long run,” Alexis said. “Our producers have faced recent challenges, such as extreme weather and disease, and by supporting them so they can plant more resilient, climate-friendly crops, we will improve their bottom line and strengthen both the food economy and food security in BC”

Also, for the first time, the provincial replanting programs will cover the wine grape sector in BC, which has seen its annual yields dropping for 10 straight years due to events like the 2022 cold snap, or the 2021 heat dome.

As Orchard and Vine first reported on March 22, a study by the Summerland Research and Development Centre found widespread crop damage from a December 2022 cold snap, which could result in up to a 50% decline in the grape yield for 2023.

As a result, the Winegrowers of BC asked to be included in the replant program, with CEO Miles Prodan saying the local industry will have to begin a wholesale replant from traditional European vinifera grapes, to hardier grapes that can withstand extremes of heat and cold.

Even before the most recent crisis, caused by the December cold snap, the wine sector was seeing steadily declining crop yields.

According to the BC Vineyard Resiliency Report issued in July 2022, crop yields have declined in BC by roughly 33 per cent between 2018 and 2022, with the tonnage decreasing from 30,000 tons to 20,000 tons over that period.

Most winemakers and viticulturists said that decline is due to a combination of climate change in general causing extreme weather events, and also the ‘knock-on effects’ of damage from recent weather anomalies like the heat dome, the flooding in 2021, and a damaging cold snap in the Thompson-Okanagan.

“Generally, we’re seeing some of the worst crops over a nine-year period,” said Prodan. “We’re very concerned about how climate change is affecting our grapes.”

Ross Wise, chair of the BC Wine Grape Council, says the Perennial Crop Renewal Program is a good first step in helping fruit growers become more resilient to the onslaught of global warming.

“The Perennial Crop Renewal Program will help to ensure that growers are implementing best practices for sustainable wine-grape 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 one-tenth 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 Foundation 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. ν

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