British Columbia hazelnut growers are encouraged to start planning for the 2019 season by applying for the second intake of Hazelnut Renewal Program funding.

The program is revitalizing the B.C. hazelnut sector, the passionate people working in their orchards and those looking to start a career in agriculture.

Funding applications are now available for hazelnut growers planning for spring 2019.

“Anyone who knows me can tell you that I love hazelnuts!” said Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture. “The Hazelnut Renewal Program is directly supporting the revitalization of this important sector, and I encourage our passionate growers to take the opportunity now to apply for funding.”

For several years, the British Columbia hazelnut industry has been battling hard against eastern filbert blight. This serious disease has been decimating hazelnut crops in regions throughout the province.

Quick Facts:

• In July 2018, the B.C. government established the Hazelnut Renewal Program, helping orchardists plant new disease-resistant hazelnut trees in an effort to revitalize the province’s hazelnut sector.
• The Hazelnut Renewal Program’s ongoing goal is to offer greater flexibility and accessibility. The minimum eligible acreage for planting new orchards is .4 hectares (one acre). If a project includes an expansion of an existing hazelnut orchard, the total contiguous area of the existing and new orchard must be at least two hectares (five acres).
• The spring 2019 season commitment is part of $300,000 in funding over the next three years that the Ministry of Agriculture allocated to the BC Hazelnut Growers this past July.

Learn More:

July 2018 news release announcing the Hazelnut Renewal Program: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/programs/hazelnut-renewal-program

For more information about the Hazelnut Renewal Program, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/programs/hazelnut-renewal-program

Find spring 2019 planting season applications for the Hazelnut Renewal Program online: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/agriculture-and-seafood/programs/hazelnut-renewal/2019-20_hazelnut_renewal_project_application.pdf