B.C. risks 'carpet' of rotten apples after co-op closure: growers

As gala apples ripen in British Columbia's orchards, the president of the provincial fruit growers' group worries this will be a devastating season without a way for farmers to refrigerate their crops. 

Peter Simonsen of the B.C. Fruit Growers' Association says without infrastructure provided by the B.C. Tree Fruits Cooperative, which abruptly closed last month, it may not be worth picking this year, leaving a "carpet of apples" on orchard floors.

B.C. Agriculture Minister Pam Alexis says the emergency group she tasked to come up with solutions after the co-op closed will have news "soon," but adds there are enough other fruit packers to make up for the loss.

Political rivals, industry representatives and growers have called on the government to step in and acquire some of what the co-op left behind, particularly the temperature-controlled cold storage, which allows gala apples to last for up to 10 months before being sold.

Simonsen says without the storage, growers will be forced to scramble to sell their product in September and October, driving down prices for apples.

Last month, the B.C. Tree Fruits Cooperative announced that "extremely low" volumes of fruit and difficult market conditions led to the decision to close and it would be going to court to wind down the organization.

Alexis says because of the court process, it's unlikely the government would be able to acquire the co-op's storage.

Simonsen says growers don't feel like the government is listening to their concerns.

"A significant segment of our industry is in big, big trouble. And they are very upset," he said.

Alexis acknowledged the tight timeline as the galas are ready to be picked in less than a week.

"It's a terrible situation to be in, but we value the farmer in British Columbia. We have made food security our top priority, and I can tell you that everything we do is about improving conditions so that the farmer can produce more food for British Columbia," she said.