BC United Leader Kevin Falcon wants to know 鈥淲here the hell government is,鈥� in the crisis facing Okanagan fruit growers.

After suffering through a heat dome, and a freeze over the past four years that decimated crops, growers have learned that the organization that takes their fruit to market is closing up shop. 

On July 26 the BC Tree Fruits Cooperative (BCTFC) announced it was shutting down and liquidating assets, leaving growers scrambling for other options to sell their produce.

鈥淭his is not a new problem, growers have been screaming out for months that there is a growing crisis,鈥� Falcon said.

He and BCUP Agriculture Shadow Minister, Ian Paton, are meeting with Okanagan growers this week. One of the BCTFC鈥檚 assets is the packing house facility in Oliver which was recently upgraded and expanded. 

It was an unpopular move with North Okanagan growers as it resulted in the shutdown of facilities in 琉璃神社 and Lake Country. Paton toured the Oliver plant two months ago.

鈥淭his is a huge blow to the fruit growers of the Okanagan parts of British Columbia to have this facility shut down."

Paton and Falcon meet with growers at a Lake Country orchard today (July 30) to hear their concerns.

鈥淗opefully providing once again, a solution that we will give to the government in the hope that they will do the right thing and fix yet another problem we are facing in the Interior for farmers,鈥� Falcon said.

Paton added that the closure of the BCTFC needs to be addressed by the provincial government.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a scramble right now for local farmers to figure out where they can go to a private facility to get their fruits washed, graded and packaged and have some sort of income this summer.鈥�