BC apple growers have voted against establishing an apple marketing commission.
Close to 60% of growers who cast ballots did not support the establishment of a commission to regulate and market BC apples.
The referendum closed July 21, with 129 of 377 eligible growers participating.
The low participation rate of just 34% surprised Lake Country apple and grape grower Madeleine van Roechoudt, a member of the New Tree Fruit Variety Development Council that spearheaded the idea of a marketing commission prior to winding down in 2023.
“I thought a hotly contested topic would have had a much higher turnout,” she says. The result didn’t surprise her, however.
Online voting began June 30, with growers asked, “Do you support establishing a commission to regulate and market apples produced in BC for commercial sale?”
Consultations with growers led Inner Harbour Consulting of Victoria to propose a five-year pilot project, with possible duties of a commission to include establishing grade standards and supporting fair returns based on grade. A commission could also have facilitated access to real time sales and pricing information, written contracts between packers and growers and coordinated marketing.
A marketing commission was a recommendation of the province’s tree fruit industry stabilization plan released in October 2021. An orderly marketing committee was established, with numerous studies and town halls conducted to engage growers and facilitate discussion.
Despite the town hall discussions, there was always an undertone that the marketing commission was being imposed on growers. Many growers wanted a solution, but were skittish about a marketing commission.
The sentiments persisted despite assurances by Inner Harbour Consulting principal Derek Sturko, “it’s going to be run by you, so you get to decide how it is to be.”
Overall, growers don’t feel like they’ve been consulted, says Karnail Singh Sidhu, who grows grapes and apples in West Kelowna.
“With something this important, every grower should have had the opportunity to sit down with an interpreter who is able to explain the commission to them,” he says. “We should not just take the results of a grower survey.”
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