After multiple devastating weather events over the last couple years, support is coming in two different approaches for fruit and grape growers.
In recent weeks, both the federal government and provincial government have announced support for the wine industry and fruit growers.
The federal government announced on March 1 that it would be putting $177 million into its Wine Sector Support Program over the next three years. On March 9, the government announced it would be capping the planned increase to alcohol excise tax to two per cent for the next two years, instead of the planned 4.7 per cent increase.
The approach has its critics, particularly as the funding for the support program is coming out of the excise tax and is tied to making full grant applications to the program and being selected to receive funding.
sa国际传媒淣ot everyone will apply for this,sa国际传媒� said MP Dan Albas, who represents the Central Okanagan- Similkameen -Nicola federal riding. sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檝e spoken to many small growers or small vintners who said itsa国际传媒檚 a complicated process and they probably wonsa国际传媒檛 apply.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 not uniformly per capita to the size or volume that they produce, which would probably be a fairer method. People right now, especially small vintners are pulling their hair out because theysa国际传媒檙e trying to figure out if they can cash flow or secure grapes.sa国际传媒�
On the other hand, a provincial program was announced at the BC Wine Growers conference in Penticton on March 14, with $70 million from the provincial government set to go to help both grape growers and fruit growers.
sa国际传媒淚n B.C. and in the South Okanagan specifically, with the weather and the smoke wesa国际传媒檙e really struggling with grapes,sa国际传媒� said MLA Roly Russell, who represents the Boundary-Similkameen provincial riding.
sa国际传媒淚t was a challenging year last year and this season is again. From the dozens of people that Isa国际传媒檝e spoken to itsa国际传媒檚 just been outright devastating to a lot of those growers. We know how important agriculture is to our region and our province.sa国际传媒�
The provincial governmentsa国际传媒檚 $70 million is earmarked for both grape growers and fruit growers in B.C. such as those who produce cherries, which were also hit particularly hard over the last couple of years.
The new funding tops off the perennial crop renewal program worth $15 million announced last spring to help more than 200 producers remove diseased and unproductive plants and replace them with higher-quality crops. The new funding is said to help 1,000 producers revitalize their farms and protect their business.
The new funding is focused on helping local growers replant, with Premier David Eby stating at the March 13 announcement he hopes to see more resilient varietals planted for the future.
sa国际传媒淭hose producers understand that whatever crop they might have there are varieties most well suited for not just the climate we have but the climate we might have 20 years from now,sa国际传媒� said Russell.sa国际传媒�
The government has also earmarked some of the funds for identifying which particular varietals would be best to plant for climate resilience while staying suitable for the market.
The provincial government is also looking to streamline some of the bureaucracy around wineries to modernize them and make things easier going forward for things like tasting rooms and guided tours.
sa国际传媒淓stimates are the industry provides $3.75 billion into the economy and 14,000 jobs and thatsa国际传媒檚 enormous,sa国际传媒� said Russell.
sa国际传媒淲hether yousa国际传媒檙e a hotelier, whether you are the the local florist, whether you are an event planner, all of those have a part in that strong tourist experience that is really rooted in the wine industry in many ways.sa国际传媒�
Whether the programs will be enough to ensure the wine and fruit industries thrive long-term remains to be seen, especially as weather events like the heat dome and deep freeze seem likely to only become more common in the future.
