Three projects by the B.C. Tree Fruits Cooperative (BCTFC) will tackle tree cankers and cherry packing efficiencies to boost net returns of growers.
The BCTFC is receiving joint federal-provincial funding for a three-year study testing control methods for tree cankers, to improve fruit tree health in this province.
Funding is also being provided for installation of the latest technologies to two cherry packing lines in Oliver and Kelowna.
All three projects will help to improve the agriculture sector, supporting both export and domestic markets. They include a $125,000 investment to study the health of fruit trees and their production levels with different control methods for tree cankers, an ongoing and increasing challenge in the B.C. apple industry.
Tree cankers can be devastating to tree fruit production, and this project will test five different blight and canker control methods, a combination of cultural, biological, and chemical options.
BCTFC’s packing line in Oliver supports the domestic cherry market and this facility will be able to process up to five million pounds of cherries.
A $43,500 investment is coming from the Canada-B.C. Tree Fruit Marketing and Infrastructure Innovation Initiative (TFMIII).
Cherry packing will also see improvements through a new technology upgrade in Kelowna, thanks to an investment of just over $500,000 from the Canada-B.C. TFMIII.
The cherry export market, which is B.C.’s most valuable exported tree fruit crop, is largely supported by the BCTFC’s Kelowna line, and the new technology upgrade will increase production from two tons per hour to 5.3 tons per hour. B.C.’s marketed production of sweet cherries was 13,633 metric tons in 2012, with a farm gate value of $40.4 million.
This represents 99 per cent of production in Canada and over 98 per cent of the national sweet cherry crop farm gate value.
Pat Pimm, B.C. Minister of Agriculture, said the government believes these projects will greatly assist the fruit growing industry in the Okanagan Valley.
“This funding will help B.C. growers with sector-wide benefits including the opportunity to earn new dollars and increase jobs. We will continue to work with our tree fruit industry and food producing families in developing innovative products while increasing exports.”
Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz was also excited.
“Projects like these – focused on science, innovation, and technological improvements – will help to ensure that B.C. growers can continue to produce top-quality products for domestic and international markets while creating jobs and growing our economy,” said Ritz.
BC Tree Fruits Cooperative chief executive officer Alan Tyabji was also encouraged.
“BC Tree Fruits Cooperative is thankful for the support from both the federal and provincial governments with regards to these projects,” he said. “This funding not only shows the commitment both governments have to the BC tree fruit industry, but allows us to invest in state of the art technology which enables our Cooperative to compete successfully in both the domestic and export markets.”
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