Fruit growers in BC have a number of strategies that their association shared with the Town of Oliver last week.
Vice-president Pinder Dhaliwal and General Manager Glen Lucas gave council an update on what the group is focusing on this year.
Lucas addressed Bill 24 (Agricultural Land Commission amendments), saying they are in favour of flexibility for agricultural uses, but they oppose the government’s two-zone approach (they want one zone only).
Lucas said the association is asking that the Kootenay region be included in Zone 1. (It is now lumped into Zone 2, where farmers will be given more leeway to conduct non-agricultural operations.)
Lucas said the BCFGA supports the new Water Sustainability Act and is exploring a possible pilot project on an “agriculture water reserve” in the Okanagan.
Dhaliwal brought up the ongoing concern about urban wildlife, noting that deer continue to damage tree fruits, while coyotes chew up irrigation lines.
“They have become habituated to settled areas,” he pointed out.
He said fencing only re-locates the problem.
Each year, the farm gate value of BC fruit is $74.5 million, with a packed value of $160.5 million. The economic activity/contribution is $522 million annually.
Dhaliwal said the BCFGA hopes to expand and utilize unproductive lands in the ALR, and wants to participate in the government’s export growth from $11 billion to $14 billion by 2017.
He noted that BC’s most valuable tree crop is cherries. Last year BC opened its market to China and is now trying to do the same in Japan.
Dhaliwal said growers need a new replant program, which the association is working on with government.
Lucas talked about domestic and foreign workers, saying their first pick is local workers. He said a full-time facilitator has been hired to take job orders from farmers and find workers to fill those jobs. In addition, there will be safety and orientation training for local workers.
Lucas said foreign workers will only be used to fill any shortfall.
The general manager touched on other issues, including the importance of highway signage to growers’ livelihoods. (The regional district is currently enforcing its sign regulations that do not allow third-party signage on private property.)
Lucas said growers do appreciate the regional district’s wood chipping program, which is an alternative to burning.
He also noted that the starling control program is working to reduce bird damage and the use of noisy, bird-scaring devices.
Lucas said they are looking for new sites to trap starlings.
Under request for action, the BCFGA plans to help the industry implement a new strategy for growth in agriculture sector exports.
