B.C. fruit farmers wary of U.S. tariffs

The deadline for 25 per cent U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods is fast approaching, and some B.C. fruit farmers are growing increasingly concerned about their future.

While appreciated, the provincial government’s recent $10-million investment in the industry may not be enough to sustain the sector in the face of mounting challenges.

“This sort of [funding] is something that our U.S. competitors have gotten year after year,” said Peter Simonsen, president of the BC Fruit Growers Association.

The B.C. fruit industry has struggled with a range of difficulties in recent years, including severe weather, labour shortages, and the sudden closure of the BC Tree Fruit Cooperative. Simonsen says the looming threat of U.S. tariffs only adds more uncertainty.

“I think we are potentially sleepwalking into a bad situation right now, and we have made our government aware of the problem, but this response doesn’t make up for the last 10 years,” he said.

Simonsen also points out the recent investment will only cover a fraction of costs facing most farmers.

“That $10 million is being divided up 700 ways, and it’s only going to cover maybe five or 10 per cent of growing that crop. If we had been getting this every year, since the 2021 heat dome, I think we probably wouldn’t have lost the growers that we’ve lost in the last little while.”

Despite the challenges, Simonsen does see some positives, such as increased unity within the farming community.

“It’s been encouraging to see more support for local growers, but I wouldn’t call it an opportunity because I don’t think that’s the right word. Canadians have to recognize that we can’t let the American taxpayer feed us.”

As farmers look ahead, Simonsen remains cautiously optimistic.