含羞草研究社淓verybody含羞草研究社檚 drowning right now.含羞草研究社�

That含羞草研究社檚 the state of the B.C. fruit industry, according to Pinder Dhaliwal, president of the BC Fruit Growers Association (BCFGA).

Dhaliwal made his metaphor following the BCFGA annual general meeting in Penticton on Feb. 12 and 13.

He said the increasing minimum wage and possible changes to piece rates are negatively impacting local orchards. Meantime, local farmers are not seeing an increase in returns.

READ MORE: Temporary farm workers using Kelowna homeless shelter

Minimum wage in B.C. will be be $13.85 per hour as of June 1, 2019, and for foreign workers the employers must also cover the cost of airfare and housing.

含羞草研究社淭he wages have increased, but we need to see a fair deduction for some of the other inputs,含羞草研究社� said Dhaliwal. 含羞草研究社淲hen you take in the cost of housing, with electrical and everything, and airfare, that含羞草研究社檚 way more than minimum wage.

含羞草研究社淟ast year, we had integrity audits happening, so that put a stop on a lot of the workers come from Mexico or the Caribbean countries,含羞草研究社� he added.

For workers coming from other parts of Canada 含羞草研究社� Dhaliwal said 4,500 to 5,000 youth come from Quebec and Ontario to help harvest apples and cherries 含羞草研究社攅mployers may also choose to pay a regulated piece rate.

As of Jan. 1, 2019, the rate is $21.06 a bin for apples, $22.38 a half bin for peaches and $0.277 a pound for cherries.

Dhaliwal said the B.C. government will soon be reviewing those rates, which could result in more losses for local orchards.

He said the BCFGA is going to approach the government and emphasize the importance of farmers.

含羞草研究社淭hey protected the land, but they forgot about the farmer,含羞草研究社� he said.

READ MORE: Difficult year for Okanagan fruit growers

Dan Taylor with Cawston Cold Storage Ltd. said there are pros and cons to hiring orchard workers by the minimum wage or by the piece rate, but in his experience, they typically work out to the same.

He said this may change as the minimum wage increases, but he is still seeing a spike in operational costs elsewhere.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 just overall in the industry that the wage has gone up, and the returns to the grower have not gone up,含羞草研究社� said Taylor. 含羞草研究社淐rop insurance has gone up quite substantially, too. It含羞草研究社檚 costing me quite a bit more to have my acreage insured than it used to.

含羞草研究社淲hether you go with organic or conventional (farming), the cost of the inputs in the last five years has doubled, but our return isn含羞草研究社檛 going up,含羞草研究社� he added.

Donny Espet-Post at EP Orchards said he is unable to afford hiring workers, something that likely won含羞草研究社檛 change with the cost of operations increasing.

含羞草研究社淚 do the work myself for nothing. Not until the food pays, I can含羞草研究社檛 do anything,含羞草研究社� said Espet-Post. 含羞草研究社淚 could use help, but I can含羞草研究社檛 afford to pay anybody.含羞草研究社�

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

Jordyn Thomson | Reporter
 
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