Statement on BC Tree Fruits

Statement from the Kelowna Chamber on BC Tree Fruits Cooperative Closing

The Kelowna Chamber has many members in the agricultural industry, including tree fruit orchardists, packing plants, and the BC Tree Fruits (BCTF) Cooperative.

We recognize and value the long history of the industry, and the hundreds of thousands of visitors who over the years have made the Okanagan the centrepiece of their summer visits in order to enjoy our outstanding fruit products.

We regret the loss of employment that the BCTF closure is causing. We also are saddened by the loss of a longstanding opportunity for orchardists to sell their crops.

Fortunately, there are a growing number of private packing houses which are able to take some of the fruit in some areas. The weather in the past year means that the harvests are uncertain in 2024, and the extent of the shortfall in packing/selling facilities will be even more evident in 2025, if the climate is more conducive to normal cropping for the industry.

The Chamber is supportive of the government’s efforts to date to assist orchardists, firstly in monitoring the creditor protection process in the courts, as many growers are owed funds by the Co-op. Oversight of assets owned by the Co-op needs to be ongoing by the provincial government, in order to offer protection during the creditor protection process to grower members.

The Chamber is appreciative of the government’s contribution to several sustainability programs with additional funding announced this week to assist growers get through this harvest-timed crisis caused by the sudden closure and creditor protection filing.

The Chamber is also appreciative of the provincial government’s calls to relax Agricultural Land Reserve requirements around packing on property, and their call to the federal government to pause paybacks from farmers to federal loan funding agencies.

The value of Okanagan farmers and orchardists to the families involved, to the region, to its residents, and to the role they play in Canada’s food supply chain is enormous. We applaud remedies which will give long term stability to the industry and its stakeholders.