Farmers protest outside of BC Tree Fruits office in Kelowna

[Castanet News]

Okanagan farmers continue to press for change and better compensation. About 30 demonstrators turned up at BC Tree Fruits Cooperative office on Sexsmith Road...

[JamesBilodeau]

Anytime there is a Lib/NDP gov involved, the numbers are fudged and just don't make sense. They are so corrupt, they have to fool themselves into being honest.

[NathalieB]

I am confused about some of the crops being planted . Cherries for example are constantly proven to be a difficult crop to grow in the Valley. We have cold winters, we have wet Springs and yet hundreds of acres are continually being planted . Cherries are largely exported for huge profits .The mix of residential and agricultural lands mean the residents have to endure helicopters and many many spraying sessions really forcing a crop that may not be conducive to an area prone to cold winters and wet springtime weather. Tough to always support this type of farming.

[MULDERKORIN]

I had a hard time reading this article, I think it's missing some key information.
Compensation meaning what? What are these "property evaluations" and what does that mean, where is the context and what does it have to do with compensation? I went to the hyperlinked Osoyoos article and that doesn't give much information either. Nor does the Western Investor link. What am I to take away from this? What "programs" need to be revamped? Poorly written articles make these farmers look bad, because to me it just looks like for 5 years, these farms/orchard business's have been greatly mismanaged and are now asking the provincial government to bail them out. If that's it then no thanks.

[Straight Shooter]

B.C. Tree Fruits have been around for over 80 years. But, like the Fall of the Roman Empire......BCTF is on their way to a total collapse. The current fire sake that's going on with millions of dollars of packinghouse real estate property being sold off as a clear indication of poor management, especially over the last 15 years or so!

[Roadhog]

How about some actual figures for who gets paid what in supply process? I don't understand why I am asked to pay $3.69 for a pound of apples that are growing on my doorstep.

[JamesBilodeau]

How about some actual figures for who gets paid what in supply process? I don't understand why I am asked to pay $3.69 for a pound of apples that are growing on my doorstep.

Bang on! Theres is something askew when I see orchardists building 11 bedroom, five bathrooms homes that ramble for quarter of an acre but gee they are broke!

[GordonH]

How about some actual figures for who gets paid what in supply process? I don't understand why I am asked to pay $3.69 for a pound of apples that are growing on my doorstep.

Maybe look into how much it actually cost to grow a pound of apples in Okanagan valley.

[dontrump]

cherrys have been grown here for a 100 years

I am confused about some of the crops being planted . Cherries for example are constantly proven to be a difficult crop to grow in the Valley. We have cold winters, we have wet Springs and yet hundreds of acres are continually being planted . Cherries are largely exported for huge profits .The mix of residential and agricultural lands mean the residents have to endure helicopters and many many spraying sessions really forcing a crop that may not be conducive to an area prone to cold winters and wet springtime weather. Tough to always support this type of farming.

[Fredrmr]

I think some accountability in the food chain re apples is overdue. I have a grower friend who has to pay the packing house so much a pound for any cull apples he sends in - yet I see those same cull apples in Super Store for $2.99 a pound! How does that happen?

[Bentley Feddersen]

So start selling them yourself. Too hot, too cold, BC Fruit can't control everything

[Noshortageofdrivers]

I wish every time I stub my toe Premier Eby would come running with a blank cheque book and ask me how much do I want, enough is enough

[Noshortageofdrivers]

These people just never quit
Squeezing the taxpayer dry
And this government caters to their every cry

[PSidhu07]

So start selling them yourself. Too hot, too cold, BC Fruit can't control everything

Stuck in contracts that BC Tree fruit won't let the growers out of. The issue is mismanagement of the company, selling off assets to build a superplant that has exceeded the budget and the difference has to be paid from the growers. While company overhead costs are crazy high and again come out of the growers pockets. Packing fruit that shouldn't be packed and then charging the grower when it's sold at a loss. We've lost count of how many CEOs have been with the company in the last 15 years, them and all the employees still get a pay cheque every two weeks while the growers struggle to make ends meet. There is a lot more to this.

[PSidhu07]

How about some actual figures for who gets paid what in supply process? I don't understand why I am asked to pay $3.69 for a pound of apples that are growing on my doorstep.

Bang on! Theres is something askew when I see orchardists building 11 bedroom, five bathrooms homes that ramble for quarter of an acre but gee they are broke!

Built off 20-30 years of hard work, 7 day weeks, 16 hour days. Equity is not what should be used to fund the operating costs of a business. Growers grow the fruit, give it to BC tree fruit to pack and sell and expect a positive return, just like in any other business. When that doesn't happen, shouldn't management be questioned? Especially when it happens year over year