BCFGA Making Progress on Replant and Apple Pricing

be funded by the program. Now the good news, and there is lots of it!

• It appears the planting stream will go beyond replant to include planting, which in the past was referred to as ‘bare land’ planting.

Eligibility and project criteria will be developed through an “opportunity assessment project” and subsequent recommendations by an independent consultant.

• Tree fruit

• Grapes

• Blueberry

• Hazelnut

• Raspberry

The BCFGA’s top three priorities this year are 1, Replant Programs, 2, Orderly Marketing for the Apple Sector, and 3, a special one-time investment paid to Tree Fruit Growers after several years of market and climate challenges.

Replant Renewed - Now Planting, plus more Anticipation for the start of the growing season means decision-making and planning for the coming season, and a frequent request from members to the BCFGA is about replant.

The BCFGA recently noted to new Minister of Agriculture Pam Alexis that renewal of the tree fruit replant program would be

• A removal stream will be offered. It is unclear whether Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 removals will be eligible. The BCFGA is urging that these removals be eligible.

• A third stream will support projects in support of perennial horticulture planting. As an example, the idea of high-density peach production was once discussed under the old Tree Fruit Competitiveness Program, and is now again a possible project under the third stream of the Perennial Crop Renewal Program.

The sector development stream will allow investigation into the best types of cultivars and root

It is expected the criteria (project requirements) in the Planting stream will be more extensive, and that the level of grants will be higher than previous programs. The BCFGA is advocating for reasonable, straight-forward program criteria. The Planting program design work may take several months to complete, so a little more patience is required before the program requirements are clarified. Requirements for the Removal stream are likewise not established yet. It may be ruled that Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 removals are not eligible for a removal grant, but Fall 2023Spring 2024 removals would be eligible. BCFGA has requested further discussion on this issue and will continue to seek retro-

Total funding for the program is $15 million. Program intake will be continuous, with specific dates set to process batches of applications. Program funding will be allocated in order of application date, so long as the project meets the program criteria. Once the program funding is fully expended, the program will end.

Following a trial run of an Apple Packer Group, more progress was needed to overcome the destructive internal competition in the industry that has resulted in BC apples being sold within Canada at a significant discount compared to competitors.

In order to overcome this deficiency and threat to the apple sector, a new way of doing business is needed, considering acreage is down from 8,500 to 6,700 acres in the past four

The Tree Fruit Industry Stabilization Plan has approved funding to examine orderly marketing. Despite some opposition, it is

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