Vegetable commission voices optimism

BC vegetable growers are voicing optimism as another growing season ends, despite ongoing trade concerns.

“Despite a backdrop of concerns over potential trade disruptions, most of our greenhouse growers have had a good year and the industry as a whole is continuing the trend of growth and re-investment,” the BC Vegetable Marketing Commission reported in its fall newsletter, released October 17.

A stronger US dollar allowed greenhouse growers to see better prices for export product, countering the effect of greater shipments to BC of competing product from Mexico and Eastern Canada.

With immigration policies putting the squeeze on farm labour in the US for the foreseeable future, export opportunities for BC greenhouse growers are poised to remain strong.

Mother Nature appears to have confirmed the optimism voiced at the BC potato variety trials field day on August 20.

“Our storage crop and processing vegetable growers have enjoyed the most amenable weather and growing conditions in decades,” BC Veg reports. “Many of our potato growers, for example, can’t remember ever having a better yield than what they are experiencing now as they wrap up their harvest and fill storage to capacity.”

But the bounty has a downside, as neighbouring regions also saw high production, bringing the risk of downward pressure on prices as winter approaches. This has increased the importance of BC developing a strong case for the continuation of anti-dumping provisions against product from Washington.

“Our support in maintaining the anti-dumping provisions to prevent importation of potatoes below their cost of production will be vital this year in ensuring that our farmers can move their product to the market at a sustainable price, and we look forward to supporting the expiry review of this measure in 2026,” BC Veg says

With trade pressures also a risk for greenhouse vegetable producers, BC Veg has pledged to deliver on its commitment to maintaining orderly marketing.

“We look forward to continuing to support our growers and agencies as they seek to navigate through turbulent times with an environment that promotes the production and marketing of vegetables,” it says.