B.C. orchards, vineyards get $70M to replant after harsh weather

The British Columbia government says farmerswill get an extra $70 million to replant and strengthen fruitorchards and vineyards after two years of weather-related disasters.

Premier David Eby says the funding will boost the province's existing $15 million Perennial Crop Renewal Program, launched last spring to help more than 200 farmers replace diseased and unproductive plants.

Speaking at a wine industry conference in Penticton, B.C.,Eby said the new funding will help about 1,000 more producers revitalize their farms.

Ebyrecalled seeing dead and dying plants while visiting a winery in Cawston, B.C., prior to the most recent cold snap in January.

"I understood in an instant how devastating this has been for so many people in the industry," he said.

B.C.'s wine grape growers say the cold snap in January destroyed up to 99 per cent of the province's harvest, a devastating blow that followed another crippling deep freeze in 2022 and wildfire smoke damage in 2021.

Okanagan fruit growers say they were also hit hard by the January cold spell that sent temperatures in Kelowna plunging to -27 C, inflicting 90 per cent losses for stone fruits.

Eby says the government will also establish a B.C. wine grape sector task force to develop plans to help producers stay profitable and resilient as they face climate change.