Extra funding from the government will give B.C.’s hazelnut industry a chance to recover after battling a fungal disease.
Hazelnut trees across the province have been fighting against eastern filbert blight (EFB), a serious disease caused by the fungus Anisogramma anomala.
The Ministry of Agriculture is providing the BC Hazelnut Growers Association with $300,000 in funding over the next three years.
B.C. hazelnut growers receive support to revitalize local orchards https://t.co/hDtqc6gtiC
— BCMediaConnect (@BCMediaConnect) July 16, 2018
It will allow growers to replace hundreds of acres of dead and diseased orchards with efb-resistant varieties.
"Hazelnut growers in B.C. have faced major setbacks over the past decade, but this funding will help regrow and revitalize a sector that has enormous possibilities," said Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture.
"This funding will help bring processing opportunities that add value to farmers, and offers consumers more B.C. products."
While the funding will be used to replace diseased trees, it’ll also allow growers to further expand hazelnut acreage in B.C. with new planting.
The economic lifespan of a hazelnut tree is 50 years, with full production of the nuts beginning after a decade of growth.
"This announcement is a very welcome and exciting step in the re-establishment and expansion of a promising industry in British Columbia," said Walter Esau, who is on the board of directors for the BCHGA.
"The BC Hazelnut Growers Association has worked hard over the past decade to keep a once thriving industry alive, and with the help of the B.C. government, this is being made possible.”
For more information on the Hazelnut Renewal Program, click this link.
