Competitive edge needs sharpening Up Front
By Bryden Winsby G
overnment purse strings might have loosened a bit, but leaders of the British Columbia tree fruit industry still don’t think Ottawa and Victoria are doing enough to help beat the competition.
As delegates were gathered for January’s annual BC Fruit Growers’ Association meeting in Penticton, two Okanagan politicians announced the $5 million Tree Fruit Marketing and Infrastructure Innovation Initiative. In a joint statement, provincial agriculture minister Ben Stewart (MLA for Kelowna-Westside) and MP Ron Cannan (Kelowna-Lake Country), representing Stewart’s federal counterpart, Gerry Ritz, touted the funding as support for growers “so that they can take advantage of new technology and strengthen their position in the global market.” The statement said proposals are now being accepted by the BCFGA from all tree fruit associations, companies and processors that will create long-term benefits and raise the profile for the industry.
“Projects can include environmentally friendly, innovative packing and storage infrastructure, market and product development, water conservation proposals, and area-wide programs that build on the success of the Sterile Insect Release program in the Okanagan regions.”
The statement included an appreciative comment from BCFGA president Joe Sardinha— and on the surface this injection of financial aid is the sort of thing the industry has been hoping for.
Ah, but not quite. A week after the BCFGA session, the association’s directors huddled with the board of the Okanagan Tree Fruit Cooperative for what they described as an emergency meeting to discuss the miserable returns still being experienced for apples (some details of the meeting are in this issue’s Prunings section). It’s evident that what they’re after is more than a monetary boost from government. Protecting growers from unfairly subsidized competition and providing consumers with improved access to their products probably requires legislative and/or policy changes by both senior governments, something that could prove a lot trickier than cutting the occasional cheque.
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Innovative ideas are always in order, of course, and as this was being written, a news release arrived from the agriculture department of our industry’s most formidable competitor, Washington State. It says consumer interest in buying
locally-grown fruits and vegetables is prompting growth in farm-direct sales, “including the number of farmers delivering boxes of freshly harvested produce to workplaces. Despite recent cold, snowy weather, farmers are taking orders now, encouraging people to buy shares early to ensure produce for spring.”
The WSDA estimates more than 200 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operations are in business across the state. Farmers often have customers pick up their weekly produce boxes at their farm or at a central drop point, but increasingly growers are offering to come to the worksite, making it even more convenient for consumers. Members of a CSA subscription buy a share of a farm’s crops early in the year, well before harvest or even before planting. Produce subscribers pay for the entire season—which typically covers 18 to 24 weeks—or make a down
payment and then monthly payments. Small produce shares range in costs from about $18-$25 a week. Large shares run about $30-$38 a week. Typical boxes include a variety of seasonal produce such as lettuce, peas, tomatoes, carrots, strawberries and chard. Some growers include flowers. Farmers often include a weekly newsletter of farm happenings, a list of what’s in the box, and recipes that incorporate produce in the box. “Paying in advance allows growers to get working capital directly without a loan,” said Patrice Barrentine, direct marketing coordinator with WSDA’s Small Farm and Direct Marketing Program. “The pre-sales allow farmers to plan production and have a secure market for their harvest.”
Washington Wellness, a unit in the state Health Care Authority, has created an easy-to-use manual on how employers can organize deliveries to their workplace. Check it out at
www.washingtonwellness.gov/ resources_nutrition_csa.shtml Food for thought. And vice versa.
Everything you need, carried in stock: - Stock corrugated produce boxes - Handi-paks - Customizable boxes and labels
British Columbia FRUIT GROWER • Spring 2011
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