As British Columbia’s tree fruit growers spend their winter months preparing for the upcoming growing season, they are being reminded that they have until the end of January to apply for replant funding.

The province’s high-value and high-quality fruit — such as honeycrisp, ambrosia and pink lady apples, as well as late-season cherries — are in high demand, both locally and around the world. The replant program helps B.C. fruit growers replace their orchard’s fruit trees with these popular varieties.

In 2017, B.C. fruit growers produced 137,600 tonnes of apples, cherries, peaches, pears, plums/prunes, nectarines and apricots. The total represents one-third of Canadian production and nearly $160 million in farm cash receipts.

The British Columbia government is building opportunities for tree fruit growers with programs, including the $5-million Tree Fruit Competitiveness Fund announced in February 2018. By working closely with the sector, the overall goal is to continue to encourage new growers and increase production and a higher consumption of B.C. tree-fruit products, today and for future generations.

Application forms and complete tree fruit replant details are available at: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/programs/treefruit-replant

The replant application deadline is Jan. 31, 2019. The applications are being accepted by the BC Fruit Growers’ Association.