BC orchardists are hoping a meeting with the provincial Agriculture Minister Steve Thompson will translate into financial assistance. Apple prices are so low most growers can't break even let alone make a profit. BC Fruit Growers' Association president Joe Sardinha says at their meeting Wednesday in Victoria they requested $10,000,000 in emergency relief through the Argi-Recovery Program. Sardinha says, "They (growers) don't have the resources to grow the coming year's crop and that sets up a disastrous situation. A lot of growers are at the end of their rope." "We also outlined to the minister that the so-called programs like Agri-Stability, even the interim advance on Agri-Stability isn't going to be enough to assist growers with the coming year's expenses and the financial predicament." The Fruit Growers president isn't ruling out protests if they don't get the help they need. "They (growers) will be making their own decisions as to what their next steps are in outlining the utter frustration and anxiety that they have, in particular, going into another year's crop with no cash to produce it." Sardinha says Thompson promised a decision on their requests within a week to 10 days.
1 comment:
A simple ecomonic solution for the farmers is stop growing apples. If the supply out strips the demand, then common sense would tell them they should be growing something else.
Washington state increased their production of apples in 90's from 30 million boxes of apples to 120 million boxes of apples per year. What they don't sell as first class product, they juice the rest.
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