Indian-origin farmers in British Columbia, Canada, are urgently seeking government intervention following the abrupt closure of the British Columbia Tree Fruits co-operative, a crucial institution for the region's agricultural community. The co-operative, which had been a cornerstone for storing and packaging harvests for 230 farming families over the past 90 years, shut its doors last month due to "extremely low estimated fruit volumes, weather effects, and difficult market and financial conditions."
The closure has had a profound impact on the local farming community, many members of which are of Indian descent. The farmers are now grappling with the challenge of finding alternative means to handle their produce. The situation is further exacerbated by severe crop losses attributed to extreme weather conditions, which devastated peach, apricot, and nectarine crops and inflicted significant damage on cherry orchards.
Moe Dhaliwal, a long-time fruit grower in British Columbia's Okanagan region, expressed his dismay at the cooperative's sudden shutdown. "We still have growers out there that still have apples on their trees, and we've got nowhere to put them," Dhaliwal told CBC News, highlighting the immediate logistical difficulties faced by the farmers.
In response to the crisis, Kelly Wander, a leader of the protests, stressed the urgency for government intervention. The farmers are calling for the reopening of the co-operative, arguing that private packing houses cannot manage the current and upcoming harvests effectively. Wander pointed out the pervasive uncertainty among farmers, who feel their concerns are not being adequately addressed by provincial officials.
Agriculture Minister Pam Alexis acknowledged the difficulties faced by the farmers and stated that the government is attentive to their needs. "This has been a challenging time for farmers, including BC fruit growers. Our government has been listening to them. What we are hearing is everyone is facing different challenges, but the common denominator is that farmers need help now with their bottom line," Alexis said, according to CBC News.
Internal issues within the cooperative also played a role in the closure. Amarjit Lalli, a former board member and Indian-origin farmer, disclosed that internal power struggles and dissatisfaction with the cooperative’s management influenced the decision to shut down. Lalli alleged that the board opted for closure rather than relinquish control, despite the availability of members willing to address the problems within the organization. He urged the province to support a loan to the cooperative and facilitate a leadership change to address these issues.
The opposition party BC United has called for immediate action from the provincial government. They have urged the government to temporarily halt the liquidation of the co-op's assets, provide emergency funding to support the current harvest, and conduct an audit of the co-operative's management. Ian Paton, BC United’s shadow minister for agriculture, emphasized the need for these measures to prevent a complete collapse of the industry and to protect the rights of the cooperative members.
Farmers like Dhaliwal fear that without significant government support, they will be compelled to uproot their fruit trees, unable to compete with private markets. This could lead to a shortage of local produce and an influx of imported US fruits into local markets. "There's gonna be no local fruit," Dhaliwal warned, highlighting the potential long-term consequences for the local agricultural industry.
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