Plan aims to whet appetite for B.C. fare
B.C.’s agriculture, food processing and seafood industry has grown a sizzling 17 per cent since 2012, a pace the provincial government pledged to grow by increasing exports, developing domestic markets and tearing down provincial trade barriers.
Industry revenues hit $12.3 billion this year — up $1.8 billion in three years — paced by double-digit growth in food exports to the United States, China and Japan, according to government figures.
Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick set a new goal of $15 billion in revenue for the sector by 2020 with the release of a revamped B.C. Agrifood and Seafood Strategic Plan on Tuesday.
The plan sets a lofty goal to increase sales of local products in the rest of Canada by $1.1 billion, trade that continues to be hampered by interprovincial trade barriers.
“The (Canadian) premiers are working hard to take down barriers across Canada, so we can expand into markets across the country,” said Josie Tyabji, a director with wine producer Constellation Brands and a member of the minister’s Agrifood Advisory Committee. “When the premiers say free trade within Canada is a priority, that helps everybody.”
Saskatchewan recently signed onto a B.C.-Manitoba agreement to allow wineries to sell directly to consumers. An agreement on craft beer is in the works. Changes to the rules governing the Agricultural Land Reserve that allow food processing on farmland will be key to meeting the government’s growth projection.
“In wine country, we’ve seen all kinds of new artisanal producers pop up around us, making cheese, jams and salad dressings, all locally produced,” said Tyabji.
Food processing accounts for nearly 70 per cent of agri-food industry revenue, more than $8.5 billion, compared with $3 billion in primary agriculture.
“Adding value is really key to growth, whether it’s farm produce, seafood or raw logs,” said Candice Appleby, an advisory committee member representing the Small Scale Food Processors Association.
With Canada’s strong reputation for safety and quality and improving market access in Asia, B.C. food exports are poised to grow, she said.
But gains in the processing side of the industry cannot be made in isolation.
“Food production will have to be ramped up across the province to supply the inputs needed by processors,” she said.
The government’s plan calls for improved production yields and a 91,000-hectare, or three per cent, increase in farmland in production by 2020.
Support from the province and the federal government are key to opening export markets for B.C. products, said Rhonda Driediger, a director of the B.C. Agriculture Council.
“It took eight years to get access to China for our fresh blueberries and you can’t do that without a real commitment from everyone,” she said.