Tree Fruit Climate Change Response Fund

 

B.C. tree fruit growers: financial support is here!

 

B.C.’s tree fruit growers now have access to direct financial assistance to help in strengthening their operations and enhance long-term resilience and sustainability. 

The 2025 British Columbia Tree Fruit Climate Change Response Fund is a $10-million one-time payment fund, to support tree fruit growers in response to the significant challenges faced over the past four years, and the ongoing threats impacting the sector.

Examples of uses for the one-time payment include:

• Farm improvements
• Farm equipment and tools
• Farm debt repayment
• Farm wages (e.g., seasonal labour, permanent staff support)
• Farm infrastructure
• Training and education for farm staff

Fund information

The Fund provides financial assistance based on total area occupied by fruit trees (eligible acres). The number of eligible acres is calculated as the number of trees of each type divided by their respective planting density per acre (row spacing × tree spacing). Unplanted areas such as roads, buildings, or non-fruit tree crops will not be included as eligible acres.

• Payments will be limited to a maximum of 70 eligible acres (28.3 hectares)
• Payment amount to each applicant will not be determined until after the Fund has closed and will be based on the total eligible acres received by the Fund
• Read the terms and conditions (PDF, 232 KB) to confirm your eligibility and application requirements

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include:

• Existing tree fruit producers in B.C., whose primary purpose is the production and sale of harvested tree fruit
• Growers farming at least 2.47 eligible acres of tree fruits with a minimum planting density of 100 trees per acre
• Primary producers with owned or leased tree fruit production land as of November 30, 2024 within British Columbia
• Growers who have their main farmstead in British Columbia and have filed farm income tax for the tax year 2023 (form T2042 or T1273) under the Income Tax Act in B.C.

Application process

1. Register for a free BCeID account if you haven’t already
2. If you are a Production Insurance (PI) policyholder, use the same email address you have on file with Production Insurance when creating your BCeID. This links your information
3. Log in to the PODS Applicant Portal to access the application
4. If you hold a 2024 PI policy, a draft application has already been created for you in the portal — go to "My Applications" and click the downward arrow to "Edit" your draft. You do not need to start a new application if you are a PI policyholder
5. Report any additional Eligible Acres (beyond your insured crops), if applicable.
6. Submit your application by May 20, 2025, 4:30 pm

Supporting documentation such as tax returns, lease agreements, property maps, or photographic evidence will be required for growers not currently enrolled in Production Insurance.

Growers, including ones with existing Production Insurance policies, reporting additional eligible acres beyond insured crops will need to submit supporting documentation as part of the application process.

This Fund is being administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC (IAF). 

Call 236-602-2376 for dedicated support to this Fund, if you have questions or need to make a change to your application.  

Appeals process

If you disagree with the eligibility decision or the number of Eligible Acres listed in your Decision Letter, you may submit an appeal within ten (10) calendar days of receiving the letter. Appeals must include a completed Appeals Form and all supporting documentation. The Appeals Form can be downloaded below and must be submitted by email to: treefruitclimatechangeresponsefund@gov.bc.ca.

• Download the appeals form (PDF, 143 KB)