SUMMERLAND, B.C. – It is a scene that has played out across the Prairies many times this summer.
Scared and angry farmers with sunburned faces and shaking voices come before the microphone to ask questions with no answers about farm income and failed support programs.
The only difference is that this is happening in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, where fruit growers are farming in the red with no relief in site.
They blame their government and a poorly designed income insurance plan.
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“It’s happening on the Prairies and it’s now happening here,” said Penticton, B.C., grower Keith Holman.
“We need to demand our fair share of the dollars our industry puts into the Canadian economy,” he said at a grower meeting in Summerland Aug. 12.
“Our programs do not work for us. We have pointed out these flaws to government and have repeatedly asked to be included in the planning and revamping of programs to ensure our future success.”
Holman is a member of the Group of 12, a consortium of growers, packing house managers and independent farmers who have attempted to talk with the B.C. government for months about the whole farm income insurance plan.
So far they have received one reply in a form letter from agriculture minister Corky Evans’ office in Victoria.
An Aug. 16 meeting with the B.C. finance minister yielded nothing.
Modeled after Alberta’s farm income disaster program with money from Ottawa under the agriculture income disaster assistance program, the fruit growers are dissatisfied with whole farm insurance.
After two disastrous years, less than a third of the 1,600 growers in the valley will see a cheque by Christmas.
After the July 31 deadline for whole farm insurance, it is estimated the average payout is about $18,000. About 430 of 670 applicants expect to get money. There are about 1,600 growers in the valley.
“So far whole farm has returned about two cents a pound to this industry, although more than half the people are getting nothing,” said Rob Holitski of Kelowna.
Their break-even margin is calculated at 18 cents a pound but some growers say that figure is not high enough. This fall they will be lucky to get eight cents for their fruit.
This year’s crop will be about 75 percent of last year’s, which growers say is still decent. However, they won’t be able to cover the losses sustained from last year, when fruit was ruined in a record-setting heat wave.
The price outlook provided by the packing house co-operatives is not favorable.
Prices are set by the United States market, said Gerry Shaw of B.C. Tree Fruits, which acts as a marketing arm for the growers. The selling desk monitors international prices because that determines what Okanagan growers hope to receive.
For example, in 1995 Red Delicious fancy or better grade apples fetched $17.40 for the packing houses, of which half was paid to the grower. In 1999, a return of $15.50 per box is predicted. One box weighs 80 lb.
Royal Gala, a newer variety, was $33.90 in 1995 and this year is earning $21.80.
Growers realize the fruit problem has many stems.
There is a world-wide glut of apples on the market.
Many B.C. growers were encouraged to replant their orchards at a cost of about $10,000 per acre. There is a subsidy available but that expires this year. After a decade of replanting, many growers found the new trees in the super spindle orchards are fair weather varieties. Trees die and don’t return a profit as quickly as promised.
B.C. farmers are also limited by the agricultural land reserve, which freezes farmland.
Third generation orchardist Gordy Ivans and other growers want to take the province to court and challenge the land reserve. They want compensation for lost income because they cannot easily sell the land for anything but farm use.
“We’ve got to take them on in a court case and kick their butts,” he said.
