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.
“Not everyone will apply for this,” said MP Dan Albas, who represents the Central Okanagan- Similkameen -Nicola federal riding. “I’ve spoken to many small growers or small vintners who said it’s a complicated process and they probably won’t apply.
“It’s 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 they’re trying to figure out if they can cash flow or secure grapes.”
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.
“In B.C. and in the South Okanagan specifically, with the weather and the smoke we’re really struggling with grapes,” said MLA Roly Russell, who represents the Boundary-Similkameen provincial riding.
“It was a challenging year last year and this season is again. From the dozens of people that I’ve spoken to it’s just been outright devastating to a lot of those growers. We know how important agriculture is to our region and our province.”
The provincial government’s $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.
READ MORE: B.C. fruit and grape growers get $70M to replant damaged crops
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.
“Those 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,” said Russell.”
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.
“Estimates are the industry provides $3.75 billion into the economy and 14,000 jobs and that’s enormous,” said Russell.
“Whether you’re 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.”
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.