Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has announced significant funds of $770,000 for four projects in British Columbia’s fruit industry.

Fruits accounted for 18 per cent of total farm cash receipts for edible horticulture in Canada in 2021. In 2021, British Columbia accounted for the largest share of fruit sales (36%), followed by Ontario (26%) and Quebec (24%).

The four projects include:

The British Columbia Blueberry Council – $335,169 to expand global demand for highbush blueberries with an aim to diversify markets outside of the United States.

“The AgriMarketing program is very valuable to our industry. AAFC’s support has been vital, greatly contributing towards the gaining of new ground in target markets,” the B.C. Blueberry Council said.

The BC Cherry Association – $236,847 to identify new opportunities to gain access to new export markets and increase export values through the promotion of Canadian cherries.

“The AgriMarketing program funding means that we can ensure that export programs are affordable for growers, and allows us to work on gaining access to new international markets and promote cherries domestically and overseas. A significant portion of the current success of the Canadian cherry industry can be attributed to ongoing funding received through this program,” Sukhpaul Bal said, BC Cherry Association’s president.

The British Columbia Fruit Growers’ Association – $67,985 to evaluate fruitlet and leaf nutrient status and associated post-storage fruit quality. This research will help growers increase productivity by producing cherries that are optimized for storage, for both export and domestic markets.

The British Columbia Fruit Growers’ Association – $61,985 to develop and implement tools for detection and diagnosis of the Little Cherry Virus and the Western x Phytoplasma.

“The funding received through the AgriScience Program will support the development of effective tools for detecting Little Cherry Disease in BC orchards as a first step toward preventing the spread of a potentially costly disease. Funding will also help optimize tree nutrient status relative to fruit quality so that only the highest quality cherries will be sent to valuable export markets in the U.S. and China,” Erin Wallich said, B.C. Fruit Growers’ Association’s Canadian agricultural partnership administrator.

Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada June 2, 2022 news release