Vegetables enjoy strong pricing

Good weather gave Lower Mainland potato growers a jump on seeding an estimated 6,500 acres of potatoes in April, with several growers already finished by May 7 when BC Vegetable Marketing Commission members received reports on how the past year had treated growers.

The commission’s market analyst Aanchal Sandhu presented a statistical report that highlighted the role of local demand and strong pricing in boosting sales of root crops and greenhouse vegetables to $416 million last year. This was up 12.5% from 2019.

“People wanted to buy local so there was a strong market demand for BC product,” she says. “Also, kudos to strategic marketing with promotion geared to the value added categories.”

Potatoes were among the crops that benefited, with pricing reaching a 10-year high of $833 a ton.

The increase came despite lower demand from the foodservice channel that shifted production away from Kennebecs to yellow varieties designed for home consumption. Red and white varieties also saw gains, with fresh white potatoes enjoying a 12.5% price increase.

“It looks like we have the best year so far,” says Sandhu.

The total value of root crops increased to approximately $80 million, with potatoes worth $56.4 million and all other regulated root crops valued at $23.8 million.

Greenhouse crops also saw strong pricing last year, with total value rising 10% to $336 million. This is supporting greater acreage this year after a decline of 36 acres last year.

Greenhouse growers intend to boost both tomato and pepper production this year, while production of specialty crops such as lettuces will decrease. The net increase will see the growing area expand to 3 million square metres (730 acres) and deliver a 7% increase in production.

Sandhu notes that sweet bell peppers currently account for 53% of BC greenhouse production, with red peppers leading the way with 27.3% of greenhouse production.

While beefsteak production fell 49% in 2020, prices rose to their highest level in five years. Tomatoes on the vine also saw lower production and significantly higher pricing in 2020.

All content on this website is copyrighted, and cannot be republished or reproduced without permission.

1 hour 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/]

#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

View Comments

Likes: 2
Shares: 0
Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

4 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

Likes: 7
Shares: 0
Comments: 0

5 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.

#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

Likes: 17
Shares: 1
Comments: 0

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.

#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

Likes: 7
Shares: 1
Comments: 3

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.

The annual potato variety trial in Delta on August 27 attracted more than 300 people from across Canada, with Bill Zylmans of the BC Potato and Vegetable Growers Association declaring it a gathering of "the extended potato family." With the expansion of BCPVGA's mandate to a host of field vegetable growers, the field day was a chance to network, learn and understand issues across the vegetable sector. BC agriculture minister Lana Popham and Delta South MLA Ian Paton were on hand for the event at Lundstrum Farms on Westham Island, with both applauding efforts to restore bridge access to the island earlier this year to ensure production was unimpeded. Results of the trials will be published in the new year once seasonal data has been collated and analyzed.

#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

Likes: 25
Shares: 1
Comments: 1

Lana Popham is the hardest working MLA in the province, I don’t agree with the NDP policies, however I do recognize a hard working MLA…thanks for what you do