Replant program revamped

The province announced a new replant program for perennial crops on April 30, ending weeks of speculation regarding the long-awaited initiative.

Up to $15 million is being allocated for the new program, to be administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. It will have three streams, with funding disbursed on a first come, first served basis to the tree fruit, hazelnut, grape and berry sectors.

Grower representatives quoted in the province’s press release were unanimous in welcoming the announcement by BC agriculture minister Pam Alexis.

The new program combines and broadens the scope of three sector-specific replant programs for the orchard, hazelnut and raspberry sectors, and includes funds for market development, plant removal and replanting.

The orchard sector, for example, has been without a replant program since 2021, after 30 years of provincial support for orchard renewal, while the grape sector has never had a replant program.

“Tree-fruit growers in BC appreciate the investment in food security and ensuring that growers have the resources to renew their orchards,” says BC Fruit Growers’ Association vice-president Sukhdeep Brar. “[BCFGA] thanks Minister Alexis for this vote of confidence in the local production of high-quality, BC-grown produce.”

The program aims to cover 100% of removal costs and 75% of replanting costs. Sector development programs will be fully funded by the province.

But unlike previous programs, there is no timeline for the funding, and no allocation to specific streams. Sector development and plant removal costs are funded first, the province says, with replanting funded in the second and subsequent years of the program with whatever funds remain.

“Priority [is] placed on sector development projects and removal projects in the first year, and planting projects in later years, the province says. “The funding for the program is expected to be sufficient for multiple years.”

IAFBC says review of the first batch of applications will take place May 25.

The funds have been made available as part of the $200 million in food security funds announced March 7.

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17 hours ago

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23 hours ago

Forty-six regions in BC are eligible to participate in the federal livestock tax deferral program, announced yesterday, more than anywhere else in the country. The program allows producers who downsize their breeding herds by 15% to defer reporting the proceeds until the following year, when they buy replacement stock. But after multiple years of drought, the BC beef herd is cruising 25-year lows and some producers are calling for more support to maintain and rebuild their herds. For more, see: [www.countrylifeinbc.com/bc-leads-livestock-tax-deferrals/]

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5 days ago

After weeks and weeks of no moisture, there's rain in Kelowna today. While much more moisture is needed over the coming weeks and months to reduce drought conditions and the air smells of wet campfire, the slow, steady rain is very welcome for fruit grower#BCAg#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

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6 days ago

The first Delta Farmland and Wildlife Trust Grassland Set-aside Variety Trial Field Day was held at Delta's family-owned Tecarte Farms, August 27. Co-owner Bill Bates and DFWT executive director Christine Schmalz welcomed more than 35 people to view seven acres planted to different grassland blends specifically chosen to rejuvenate the soil and support the farm's blueberries. For the Bates family, it was time to try something different following the decline of the field's blueberry bushes over the past several years. "We tried everything, and nothing worked," says Bates. The blueberries were removed in May and the grassland crops planted about a week later.

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Bessette Creek is the latest watershed hit with a temporary fish protection order this year as the province moves to protect returning Chinook salmon. A total of 131 surface and groundwater users must cease drawing water immediately, with forage producers, greenhouses and nurseries impacted. "Declining flows in Bessette Creek reached record lows in early July 2026 and have remained below the minimum level required to support fish population survival," says the province. Bessette producers have embraced voluntary cutbacks, scheduled irrigation and other measures to reduce water use, and are also waiting on funding to boost water storage infrastructure. They're the second group of producers hit with a provincial order this year. Salmon River irrigators were told to top watering earlier this month following a reprieve to address wildfire risk. Growers in both the Salmon River and Bessette watersheds are urging the province to support new water storage infrastructure in advance of next year.

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There is a problem... having lived in the salmon river ( silver creek ) area, I remember a fish biologist telling family members that salmon only "survive" in high iron content creeks, they do not "thrive".... salmon river ( silver creek ) is a very high iron content, would stain clothes brown when i would use bleach... So don't expect high salmon numbers off of that creek , even in ideal situations...

I just wish they would take an interest in CHASE CREEK....went bone dry...100% of trout abd other species died...smell was terrible from rotting fish. Understand this has happened many times in the past. Chase Irrigation District totally responsible for this disaster. Now fishermen are complaining about major drop in water levels at Pillar Lake.

They could not mismanage things worse than they have. It's impossible for them to. The fact that farmers that we need for our animals are now suffering the consequences our governments have not protected us from, is absolutely fucking wild.