An online forum tonight will discuss a proposal to form an apple marketing commission, similar to what exists for vegetables and cranberries, to improve grower returns. A survey of 21 growers earlier this year by Vancouver consulting firm Ference & Co. for the New Tree Fruit Varieties Development Council, found that 81% were in favour …
BC Tree Fruits
BCTF warehouse listed
BC Tree Fruits is moving ahead with the consolidation of facilities and the disposition of surplus assets as it continues to strengthen its financial position. The co-op listed its Kelowna warehouse at 858 Ellis Street with Kelowna brokerage HM Commercial for $20 million on April 1. “Roanoke no longer fits our portfolio,” says BC Tree …
Government steps in to help tree fruit industry
The province is stepping in to assist BC’s struggling tree fruit growers. “Our government is committed to the lasting sustainability of the tree fruit industry,” BC agriculture minister Lana Popham told the annual general meeting of the BC Fruit Growers Association, February 25. “That commitment means working with you going forward on a new tree …
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 …
BC Tree Fruits prepares to sell assets, apples
KELOWNA – As the apples turn red across the Okanagan, Similkameen and Creston valleys and trucks start to move them to packinghouses, BC apple growers face their busiest time of year. But the management team at BC Tree Fruits Cooperative, which sells more than $100 million worth of apples annually, is also busy. This year …