‘It’s bleak’: Okanagan stone fruit farmers sound alarm about state of industry
Okanagan stone fruit farmers have battled mounting challenges in recent years, but there’s now concern that the region’s industry is on the brink of collapse.
From climate-related disasters to historic underfunding, local producers believe that without immediate and adequate support, the more than century-old sector could face an irreversible transformation.
“As farmers, we have the motto, ‘There’s always next year, right?’… Literally, we need next year to be good,” said Sukhdeep Brar, an Okanagan stone fruit farmer. “If next year is not good, I might be calling around for a job,” he added.
