Indian-origin farmers in British Columbia struggle as key co-operative shuts down

• In response, the opposition party BC United has called for immediate provincial intervention

• The party is urging the government to halt the liquidation of the co-op’s assets temporarily, provide funding for this year’s harvest, and conduct an audit of the co-operative’s management

PRAVASISAMWAD.COM

Indian-origin farmers in British Columbia (BC) are appealing for urgent government intervention following the unexpected closure of the British Columbia Tree Fruits co-operative. This co-op, a crucial hub for storing and packaging their produce, ceased operations last month after 90 years due to “extremely low estimated fruit volumes, weather effects, and difficult market and financial conditions,” as reported by India Today. The closure has left over 230 farming families, many of Indian descent, scrambling to find alternative solutions.

Adding to their woes, the farmers have already suffered severe crop losses due to extreme weather, which devastated peach, apricot, and nectarine crops, and severely damaged cherry orchards.

• The closure has also exposed internal strife within the co-operative. The report quoted Amarjit Lalli, a former board member and Indian-origin farmer, who disclosed that a power struggle and dissatisfaction with management contributed to the decision to shut down

• Lalli urged the province to support a loan to the co-op and allow members to replace the current leadership

Moe Dhaliwal, an Indian-origin farmer with 30 years of experience in BC’s Okanagan region, expressed his shock at the closure. “We still have growers with apples on their trees, and now there’s nowhere to store them,” Dhaliwal told CBC News.

Protest organiser Kelly Wander highlighted the need for government support, stressing that private packing houses are unable to manage the current and upcoming harvests. “There’s a lot of uncertainty,” Wander said, noting that many farmers feel their concerns are being ignored by provincial authorities.

Canada’s Agriculture Minister Pam Alexis acknowledged the hardships faced by the farmers, particularly those in BC. “This has been a challenging time for farmers. Our government is listening, and we understand that farmers need immediate help with their bottom line,” Alexis said, as reported by CBC News.

The closure has also exposed internal strife within the co-operative. The report quoted Amarjit Lalli, a former board member and Indian-origin farmer, who disclosed that a power struggle and dissatisfaction with management contributed to the decision to shut down. Lalli urged the province to support a loan to the co-op and allow members to replace the current leadership.

***********************************************************

Readers

These are extraordinary times. All of us have to rely on high-impact, trustworthy journalism. And this is especially true of the Indian Diaspora. Members of the Indian community overseas cannot be fed with inaccurate news.

Pravasi Samwad is a venture that has no shareholders. It is the result of an impassioned initiative of a handful of Indian journalists spread around the world.  We have taken a small step forward with the pledge to provide news with accuracy, free from political and commercial influence. Our aim is to keep you, our readers, informed about developments at ‘home’ and across the world that affect you.

For more information: pravasisamwad00@gmail.com