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BC Tree Fruits is focused on supporting growers and is taking unprecedented steps to make things happen.
Following the release of the report and recommendations concerning the challenges facing BC’s tree fruit industry by the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries last fall, industry leaders have joined together to tackle some of the biggest issues facing the tree fruit industry and its growers. “The scope of work being done so far is truly impressive” says Warren Sarafinchan, President and CEO of BC Tree Fruits Cooperative. “The Cooperative is proud of this work that we are doing alongside other industry stakeholders to improve circumstances for the entire industry, but most importantly for growers”.
The foundation of the tree fruit industry is its growers. In addition to the collective industry work being done, BC Tree Fruits Cooperative is taking significant steps to demonstrate the organization’s commitment to apple growers during this challenging period of increasing inflation, labor shortages and supply chain challenges. The Cooperative is expanding on a program launched in 2020 by providing minimum payment guarantees to growers on a wide range of varieties, grades, and sizes of apples for the next three years. “After years of fluctuating market pricing, weather challenges and rapidly increasing inflation, growers need certainty that they will be paid a reasonable price for quality apples that the market is demanding”, says Sarafinchan. “Our Apple Income Assurance Program provides apple growers with a minimum guaranteed price return, which gives them confidence to invest in the crop inputs and labour required to grow the fruit that consumers are looking for. A program of this nature has never been offered in the tree fruit industry but is a very clear indication that the Cooperative is placing local growers first to cultivate a prosperous future for the industry”.
“As a Cooperative, we place growers first in everything we do. By enhancing this program with higher guaranteed price returns for a three-year period, we are eliminating some of the uncertainty that apple growers face every day”.