Okanagan fruit growers raise concerns over mislabeled stone fruit on local shelves

Some Okanagan fruit growers are raising concerns about some produce at local fruit stands being mislabeled as locally grown.

Following a tough growing season, most if not all Okanagan farmers were unable to grow stone fruit and only a few varieties of cherries survived.

“It’s hard because we only have the cherries that are local, people only have cherries,” said Gill.

“But it’s hard because people think that we’re lying to them saying there is no stone fruit but there really isn’t.”

2:05 B.C. fruit growers warn of mislabelled produce

But at some local fruit stands, the shelves are fully stocked with peaches, nectarines, and several varieties of cherries.

The stone fruit has likely been imported from the United States or Ontario, even though the display signs say local fruit.

“It’s quite a serious problem at the moment because we don’t have any local fruit. So, this year is easy to spot,” said Cawston Organic grower and independent packer Jarnail Gill.

“The consumer trust is really important. And we need to give them a clear vision of where the fruit is coming from. Where the fruit is displaced, there should be a very clear sign on it showing where it came from.”

According to Karmpreet Gill, fruit that comes from the United States usually comes with a sticker on the fruit indicating where it came from.

She believes that local growers are taking the stickers off the fruit before placing the fruit on the shelves.

“The Okanagan grows a lot of local stone fruit but since we don’t have any this year, people have been assuming the media is lying to them saying that they’ve been misconceptions about there not being local stone fruit, which there isn’t. We don’t have fruit, that’s not our fruit,” said Gill.

“Which is really hard on us farmers, too. I get it, like we have to make a living somehow. But it’s hard when we’re lying to our consumers about where the fruit is coming from.”

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Growers earn most of their income from selling fruit at this time of year, and need the support now more than ever, but Gill says it’s a case of buyer beware.

For the Gill family, they hope that local farmers can work together to navigate how to make it through this season without misleading the consumer.

“As farmers, we should be standing together, especially in these harder times,” said Gill.

“We shouldn’t be claiming that it’s local. And even if it comes from the States, just leave the stickers on. It’s really not that hard to be honest to our consumers.”

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