Fred Steele
Bare ground planting for the tree fruit industry would be an additional tool for rejuvenating our industry. To its credit the Provincial Government has supported replant - where trees are removed and new varieties planted. We have seen the benefit of the replant program in renewing our orchards. However, for an orchard removed more than five years ago, a new planting is not eligible for the replant program.
Over the years, the elusive goal of replanting blocks pulled out years ago or land that has never been planted with tree fruits has been pursued provincially and federally. Recently, the BCFGA has asked Federal Government politicians to consider a rejuvenation program. Until this year we never got past NO. One of the suggestions was to ensure that there is a formal plan with national buy-in from all of the provincial apple associations (i.e. BCFGA, Ontario Apple Growers, Les Producteurs de Pommes du Quebec, Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association, and Apple Growers of New Brunswick).
Through the Canadian Horticulture Council’s Apple Working Group, the provinces came together, with BC and Ontario leading the writing of a formal plan that is reviewed and approved by all provincial apple associations. The long-standing BC dream became a national dream where participation would involve all the tree fruit producing provinces. The road to the National Tree Fruit Rejuvenation Program began in January, in Ottawa and to date we have laid out a reason for optimism. A well-structured plan is the result. Now the real work comes, with the provincial apple associations - and individual growers - advocating for a rejuvenation program that finances planting beyond that which is eligible for our provincial replant program.
A brief history shows over the past half century we have been facing stiff competition chiefly from Washington State. Though we have had two successful anti-dumping decisions, there has been a decline in domestic apple production. In 1971, Canada had nearly 135,000 acres under production. After building the dams on the Columbia River to store water for the Americans, combined with a number of other factors we have shrunk to about 67,000 acres nationally.
Canadian growers have taken a number of steps to compete against the rapid growth in Washington State and the eastern American markets.
Steps have included:
- Building more efficient irrigation methods
- Replacing traditional varieties with new varieties
- Introducing high density growing to increase yields
- The introduction of management tools, wind machines to mitigate frost damage
- Participation in food safety programs to ensure confidence in our products
- Implementing new cold storage technology
- Implementing integrated pest management programs
The BCFGA took a very proactive role two decades ago cooperating with the Federal Government to develop new tree fruit varieties; cherries and apples.
This clearly demonstrates growers are willing to invest in their industry and seek cooperation. Partnering with the Federal Government. Several industry organizations and apple associations are developing a new National Apple Breeding Framework.
These positive steps have established a new level of national cooperation between apple associations, and provide the government with confidence that there is, one national plan.
Locally, growers have a new optimism and new can-do attitude and are ready to put even more investment money into their farms. The key to being able to compete now lies in the ability to have enough products to meet demand. We also need to develop twenty-first century infrastructure to handle the increased volumes being produced. The solution is to grow the industry.
Some have said, why treat the tree fruit industry differently?
A fair question with a good answer, with globalization we have seen companies, and industries spring up and others disappear. In Canada we took positive action and retooled the auto industry we re-organized the fishery, the lumber industry, even the grains and oilseed sectors. Tree fruit production is a national enterprise neglected for decades and its time has come to rebuild. We have developed national strategies, and now need the program to implement.
So what would the National Tree Fruit Rejuvenation Program look like and consist of?
The National Tree Fruit Rejuvenation Program would provide interest relief to cover the interest growers pay on funds they access for replant, and for the cost of infrastructure for storage to handle increased volume.
Interest relief would cover the five-year period from when the trees are planted until the first commercial crop is realized. The time period for planting would run from 2017 to 2022. The interest relief would run for five years after planting.
Growing quality fruit becomes its own value added component. This quality advantage combined with newer varieties would see profitable returns for farmers.
This goes with something I have said for years, farmers don’t need to be sustained by government; they need to find the level of profitability in the marketplace.
To maximize the potential of the new value-added product we need to ensure the building blocks of infrastructure are in place to support the increased volumes.
Packing and storage facilities, along with innovation that uses less water and is environmentally friendly. Under the national proposal, improvement to packing and storage facilities would also be eligible for the rejuvenation program.
The national and regional benefits of the tree fruit rejuvenation program are:
Job Creation:
- An increase in skilled jobs to support technological advancements in the area of production and storage.
- An increase in supplier businesses.
- An increase in farm work.
Environment and climate change benefits:
- Lower energy consumption and energy efficiency in packing and storage facilities.
- Efficient water use in packing plants.
- Improved efficiency of new irrigation technology in orchards.
Local impacts:
- New product will displace imports.
- Increased exports.
- New domestic sales alone are estimated to be $86 million annually.
This deal would see an industry investment of $880 million dollars and a government investment to $243 million over the life of the program across the country
British Columbia would receive an estimated 39.2 percent of the allocated funds.
This is in my humble opinion (or as the more technologically oriented say, IMHO) the final leg in a race for the tree fruit industry to go from sustainability to profitability. With grower support we will rejuvenate the industry, reversing the decline that followed the Columbia River Treaty.
Fred Steele, President, BC Fruit Growers’ Association