KELOWNA, B.C. – Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz has promised beleaguered Okanagan fruit farmers he will “tweak and twist” government support programs to find more support for them.
He made the pledge during the recent British Columbia Fruit Growers Association annual meeting in Kelowna, where association members told him how badly they need help after abysmal years in 2008 and 2009.
“Our industry has suffered greatly in the last two years,” former association president Penny Gambell told Ritz.
“We have a great industry and produce a wonderful product that is of great value, not only to the Okanagan and B.C., but to Canada,” said Gambell. “If you want to see sustainable agriculture, we need your support. We’re counting on you.”
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Ritz, a former Saskatchewan farmer who “still plays around with 100 acres,” said he was sympathetic but direct subsidies to offset losses cause trade problems.
However, he promised to have his bureaucrats investigate why the support programs did not trigger.
“They’re no damned good to you if they don’t trigger,” he said.
“We will work within existing program parameters to tweak and twist to make sure they will work for you. We will do everything we can to trigger some cash flow. You can’t meet the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow if you don’t survive today.”
Association president Joe Sardinha said growers fear the worst when they receive their first payment on the 2009 apple crop in early February.
“It’s going to be a difficult advance to deal with and I sense growers already know that,” he said.
“They’re right in saying if something extraordinary doesn’t happen in the form of some assistance, and should we get a third bad year, a lot of growers are going to give up. That’s a big concern. We have shrunk substantially in the last 10 years. We’re going to reach a point where we don’t have enough critical mass and volume to remain a strong player in any market.”
Besides low prices, B.C. fruit growers have also faced a killing frost, a high Canadian dollar and overwhelming competition from Washington state, which dwarfs the B.C. industry.
However, Ritz did have some good news while visiting B.C.
He announced that the AgriStability program, which helps farmers even out income in bad years, will move back to the province from Manitoba.
“Farmers in different parts of the country have different needs, so we’re proud to partner with the government of B.C. to give farmers the local service they deserve,” Ritz said.
“This move brings 25 jobs to B.C. and will boost the local economy.”
Sardinha said poor communication, computer errors, a lack of understanding of B.C. farm sectors and over or underpayments have plagued growers since AgriStability was moved as part of a national approach.
“Two years ago, we said to then (provincial agriculture) minister Pat Bell, ‘can we please do something to correct these issues?’ Now, we have staff in risk management in Kelowna that understands the complexities of our sector.”
Ritz also delivered $2.3 million to the Okanagan Plant Improvement Corp. (PICO), which the fruit growers association owns, to develop new apple and sweet cherry varieties to help Canadian growers expand production and develop a competitive edge.
