BRITISH COLUMBIA – More B.C. farmers producing grapes, cherries, tree fruit and berries will receive support to replant their vineyards, farms and orchards.
A new enhanced replant program will provide as much as $70 million in support to help producers replace damaged, diseased and low-producing vines, plants and trees with climate-resilient varieties that produce in-demand, premium fruit.
The new funding builds on the $15-million Perennial Crop Renewal Program launched in spring 2023, which has helped more than 200 producers remove diseased and unproductive plants and replace them with higher quality crops.
JMC Farms in Chilliwack received $70,000 to remove 14 acres of Elliot blueberry plants infected by scorch virus and revitalize the soil to prepare for replanting.
“The crop-renewal program was easy to apply for and allowed our farm to avoid a serious financial burden from the removal of our blueberry plants,” said Marc Dalton, owner and blueberry farmer, JMC Farms. “The program helped our farm to be set up so we could adjust to changing market and climate conditions and allow us to be successful in the future. I am pleased to see the program will be expanded to include more replant costs since it provides good value to support farmers.”
Government staff will work with industry associations to develop planting guidelines to ensure replanted varieties have enhanced adaptability and performance in the face of climate change, pests, disease and market pressures. Producers will make replant choices based on the best available agronomic science to ensure they can handle extreme-weather events. Application information will be made available as soon as the guidelines are established.
As part of this investment, government is also establishing a B.C. wine-grape sector task force to develop a research and varietal road map for an economically viable B.C. wine-grape industry. The task force will run for two years and provide practical recommendations to producers and the industry about how to remain profitable and resilient. It will be comprised of Canadian and international experts with members anticipated to be identified this year.
Additionally, the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General is working with manufacturers, with a specific focus on wineries, to support better experiences for visitors and promote tourism. In response to industry feedback, the Province is working to implement a suite of policy changes to enhance visitor experiences at wineries and other liquor-manufacturing sites in time for the summer. This work was informed by in-person visits to more than 30 liquor manufacturers.
The new changes in development include:
- supporting better guided-tour experiences that allow people to sit and enjoy a glass of wine while on a tour;
- allowing sales in more places on site, including on tours;
- allowing more flexibility around sampling so manufacturers can customize sampling experiences; and
- allowing manufacturers to sell their product in picnic areas and host people more effectively.
The new investment in a provincial replant program is in addition to the crop insurance and AgriStability income-protection programs the federal and provincial governments operate to support farmers who experience crop losses and income declines.
It is estimated that B.C. berry, grape and tree fruit growers received more than $65 million through crop insurance and AgriStability in 2023.
Source: Province of BC News Archives