Members of the British Columbia Fruit Growers Association set up a steering committee to carry out a consultation and the new plan is the outcome of that nine-month process.
The strategy sets duties, names responsible organisations and identifies how government and industry can work together to bring resources into the industry.
Growers in the Canadian province have already seen their 11-year, provincially funded replanting programme extended a further year into 2007. It means that more than 60 per cent of the area’s orchards have been renewed in that time.
Further priorities under the strategy are marketing, innovation and a worker-housing initiative.
The strategy, which was revealed at last weekend’s BCFGA annual convention, is based on five pillars: integration, quality production, markets, human resources and new varieties.
Integration could see co-op packhouses come together to form a single entity. In terms of quality, by 2012 the aim is to improve production so that 75 per cent falls into the top grade at packout. And the growers are also hoping for prices on a par with those for Washington fruit as they move away from commodity varieties to speciality types and organics to reach up to 20 per cent of the overall offer by 2012.
“To help drive commercialisation of new varieties, at least three new varieties will be under market development at any given time involving 50 ore more acres in test production,” the plan states.
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