Orchard industry strategy revamped


Focus will be on five key areas during the first five years. By Judie Steeves


I


n the coming months, all grower organizations will be asked to sign onto an Industry Accord agreeing to work together on implementation of the updated strategy for moving forward in the coming decade of the orchard industry in B.C. Grower feedback has now been incorporated into the strategy document, which will move next into the implementation phase, says Glen Lucas, general manager of the B.C. Fruit Growers’ Association. Recommendations include ways to target business planning at all levels of the industry, from individual growers to all other participants in the industry, and to coordinate communication amongst them all.


In the first five years, the focus will be on five areas:


• Educating growers about new technology; customer expectations regarding quality and market competition; and the importance of improving yields, plant selection, planting systems, pruning and crop load management.


• Replant and renewal, with emphasis on product quality through variety selection, ensuring site suitability, in line with industry variety volume targets. A performance measurement system would be used


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and quality-assurance research programs would be targeted in conjunction with partners. • Improvements to infrastructure and technology, particularly improvement of aging facilities such as cold storage and packing lines. • Programs for attracting and retaining employees and developing a comprehensive farm worker program, with programs to provide seasonal workers to match industry needs. • Marketing industry products using Buy B.C. and Buy Canadian programs, but also emphasis on ethnic consumption and growing exports. Some specific goals will be working with government to support emerging processing opportunities, including cideries, processing cherry culls and other new processing ideas and other innovations.


As well, a trade action plan should be prepared to protect from dumping; and new packaging and other promotions developed.


The Sterile Insect Release program for codling moth should be expanded to include new pests, and there should be an action plan to detect and contain or eliminate invasive pests early on. From the strategy:


As a benchmark, the BC tree fruit industry is presently composed of about 600 commercial tree fruit growers, six apple and pear packers, 28 cherry packers, about six commercial fruit processors, and a newer area of endeavour, about 12 apple cideries. Together, these players generate $664 million of economic activity annually, based on the $97 million of tree fruit sales and an additional $63.5 million for packing of fresh fruit sales.


Profit is a key measure of business success. Since profit usually leads to growth of a sector, the primary measure of success for this industry strategy will be growth in production over the next 10 years, from the years 2015 to 2025.


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