KELOWNA – BC garlic growers are harvesting about four times as much garlic as they did a decade ago, but a cool spring and wet weather just before harvest challenged some growers this year. “It was a very stressful year for many of my growers,” says Jim Capellini of Rasa Creek Farm in Lumby. He’s …
CROPS
Apple returns raise alarm
KELOWNA – Okanagan apple growers say ongoing low returns and rising input costs have pushed them to the verge of quitting the industry. “The financial returns of apple growers have been steadily declining for the past three years,” says Pinder Dhaliwal, an apple grower in Oliver and president of the BC Fruit Growers Association. “On …
Cold snap hits Okanagan fruit growers
Three nights of sub-zero temperatures has brought an end to the growing season for Okanagan fruit growers. This past weekend saw temperatures dip below -5 degrees Celsius across the valley, with temperatures as low as -15 recorded in Oliver. “We’re trying to get things off as quickly as possible,” said Troy Osborne, a director of …
Apple growers protest in Kelowna
To raise awareness of the challenges faced by the apple growers in Okanagan, the BC Fruit Growers Association sold apples at 12 cents a pound in Kelowna on Thanksgiving weekend. BCFGA billed the sale at the Kelowna Farmers and Crafters Market on October 10 the “BC Apples Farewell Tour” to highlight how low returns are forcing …
US investigating blueberries
BC blueberry exports are being investigated as a possible source of economic injury to US growers. US Trade Representative Robert Lightizer announced the investigation September 29 following the release of a report jointly authored by his office, the US Department of Agriculture and US Department of Commerce. “It’s very difficult to say what the impact …
Unprecedented rise in machine harvesting
ABBOTSFORD – Blueberry growers have turned to mechanical harvesting in unprecedented numbers this year due to a shortage of labour and impacts of COVID-19. While growers usually employ thousands of hand harvesters, this year saw hundreds of machines harvesting berries across the Fraser Valley. Although farmers have been using machines for several years, many did …