First come, first served for


replant money BCFGA expects sufficient funds will be available tomeet programdemand. By Judie Steeves


A


pplications for the new $2 million, three-year tree fruit replant program will be available this fall, on a first-come, first-served basis through the B.C. Fruit Growers’ Association, which is administering the program.


General manager Glen Lucas says he expects there will be enough money to go around in the first year of the program, since the most that was ever needed in previous programs was $900,000 in one year.


There are some changes in this program from previous ones, including incentives for growers to replant for high-value fruit varieties in the right place; varieties that do not compete directly with those in Washington State, Lucas noted.


Despite lobbying efforts to the province, the program is only eligible for growers replanting apples where apples were grown, cherries where cherries were grown or soft fruits where soft fruits were grown, and it will not begin until Jan. 1, 2013 for replant and April 1, 2012 for budding and grafting. Agriculture minister Don McRae said it is primarily an apple program, with 90 per cent of the money directed to apple growers each year.


Those growers budding and grafting will be eligible to receive $2.50 a tree, to a maximum of 2,000 trees an acre and to a maximum of $5,000 an acre per applicant.


Those replanting will be eligible for $3.50 a tree, to a maximum of 2,000 trees an acre and a maximum of $7,000 an acre per applicant. A minimum of one acre must be replanted and the orchard must be a


minimum of five acres in total to ensure


participation only by commercial growers.


Only high-value apple varieties with the potential


to receive at least 25 cents a pound will be considered. For instance, both Ambrosia and red strains of Gala are eligible to be planted without geographical limitations.


However, in order to improve returns to growers, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, new varieties from the Summerland Pacific Agri-food Research Centre, or other varieties with good profit potential will


be considered only if they're considered suited to the site proposed for replanting. Low value varieties such as McIntosh, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and Spartans will not be eligible for funding.


Trees must have been removed within the last five years and applicants must have been active in the industry during that time. The maximum acreage eligible for replant assistance is 10 acres a year per orchard operation.


Applications will be reviewed by a small government/industry panel which includes members from the BCFGA and independent growers. In consultation with packinghouse staff, the panel will have the authority to reject applications if the wrong variety is judged to be chosen for a particular site.


Both Honeycrisp and Pink Lady will only be permitted where they are very well-suited, since they are varieties which would be in direct competition with those grown in Washington State.


Apply through the BCFGA office.


10757-182 St. Edmonton, AB Ph: (780) 484-2231 www.tramsales.com info@tramsales.com


Row Crop Fertilizer Spreader


Bogballe Model L1-Base, Row Crop Spreader Standard Equipment: 10 to 16m vanes (32’-10” to (52’-5”), hydraulic remote control, hopper cover, cat. II 3 pt hitch, sieves, twin disks, degree meter, PTO w/sealed clutch, 775L / 0.775 cu meter capacity.


Ideal for use in vineyards, fruit orchards and berry production, the L1 spreader can be mounted with row equipment made of stainless steel. The spreader can be fitted with a hopper with a width of only 125 cm (49”) for narrow distances between rows of plants, bushes or trees.


The row equipment places the fertiliser in 100-120 cm (39”-47”) bands around the plant base so that the use of nutrients is optimized. The row spacing can be adjusted in stepless settings between 1.5 and 5 metres (4’-11” and 16’-5”) using the angled flaps at each side.


The 2-row equipment is easily mounted and dismounted using only a single lever. Without row equip- ment, the spreader can work at spread widths from 10 - 18 metres (32’-10” - 59’-0”).


British Columbia FRUIT GROWER • Fall 2012 13


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