More B.C. farmers will receive financial support to replant their vineyards, farms, and orchards in the wake of this year’s devastating crop loss.
A new, enhanced replant program, announced by the province on Wednesday, will provide up to $70M to help producers remove damaged, diseased and low-producing vines, plants and trees and replace them with climate-resilient varieties that produce in-demand, premium fruit.
“This $70 million replanting program should hopefully go a long way to getting growers of fruits in our province back on their feet,” Premier David Eby said.
“Hopefully, this support enables (growers) to be able to purchase varietals that will be able to survive the kind of extreme temperature swings that we’ve seen, and also respond to changing consumer tastes at the same time, so we could turn a crisis into an opportunity for the whole province.”
The new funding builds up on the $15 million Perennial Crop Renewal Program launched last spring which has helped over 200 producers remove diseased and unproductive plants and replace them with higher-quality crops.
Eby said that he recently did a tour through a Cawston vineyard and got a firsthand view of the damage wrought by extreme weather swings.
“There were farmers and winery operators from around the region that gathered in that parking lot and you could see the vines from where we were standing, dead and dying from the extreme temperature swings that we’ve seen … and that was even before the most recent cold snap that we went through,” he said.
“I understood in an instant, how devastating this has been for so many people who industry.”
JMC Farms in Chilliwack received $70,000 in funding to remove 14 acres of Elliot blueberry plants which were infected with scorch virus and revitalize the soil to prepare for replanting.
“The crop renewal program was easy to apply for and allowed our farm to avoid a serious financial burden from the removal of our blueberry plants,” Marc Dalton, owner and blueberry farmer, JMC Farms, said, in a press release.
“The program helped our farm to be set up so we could adjust to changing market and climate conditions and allow us to be successful the future. I am pleased to see the program will be expanded to include more replant costs since it provides good value to support farmers.”
Government staff will work with industry associations to develop planting guidelines to ensure replanted varieties have enhanced adaptability and performance in the face of climate change, pests, disease and market pressures.
Producers will make replant choices based on the best available agronomic science to ensure they can handle future extreme weather events. Application information will be made available shortly.
As part of this investment, the government is also establishing a B.C. wine grape sector task force to develop a research and varietal roadmap for an economically viable B.C. wine grape industry.
The task force will run for two years and provide practical recommendations to producers and the industry on how to remain profitable and resilient. It will be comprised of Canadian and international experts with members anticipated to be identified later this year.
“Minister Alexis’ announcement today is confirmation of this government’s commitment to resiliency support for B.C. wine growers,” says Wine Growers BC President and CEO Miles Prodan.
“The ongoing climate change effects, highlighted by recent freeze events on B.C. farmers is real and directly impacts those individuals and families that make up our industry. We look forward to working with the Ministry to ensure B.C. vineyards come back better than ever to continue to produce the quality wine consumer have come to expect and that the B.C. wine industry continues to be a significant driver for the B.C. economy.”
Additionally, the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General is working with manufacturers, with a specific focus on wineries, to support better experiences for visitors and promote tourism. In response to industry feedback, the province is working to implement a suite of policy changes to enhance visitor experiences at wineries and other liquor manufacturing sites in time for the summer season. This work was informed by in-person visits to over 30 liquor manufacturers.
New changes currently in development include supporting better guided tour experiences, where people can sit and enjoy a glass of wine while on a tour; allowing sales in more places on site, more flexibility around sampling, so manufacturers can customize sampling experiences; and allowing manufacturers to sell their product in picnic areas and host people more effectively.
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