BC Tree Fruits Cooperative
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| Company type | Grower-owned cooperative |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food and beverage services |
| Founded | 1936[1] |
| Headquarters | , Canada |
Area served | Okanagan, British Columbia |
| Revenue | $55.7 million (2023) |
| Members | 230 (2024) |
Number of employees | 242[2][3] (2024) |
| Website | http://www.bctreefruits.com |
The BC Tree Fruits Cooperative was a grower-owned cooperative based in the Okanagan region of British Columbia.[1] It processed, stored, packaged, and sold fruit. It had more than 230 member farms in 2024.[4]
After operating for almost 90 years, in July 2024 the co-op announced that it was dissolving and seeking court direction to liquidate its assets.[1] As reasons for the closure, the company cited "extremely low estimated fruit volumes, weather effects and difficult market and financial conditions".[1][5]
The BC Tree Fruits Cooperative was founded in 1936.[1] The co-op stored, packed, and sold fruit produced by its members (growers and orchard owners) in the Okanagan region of British Columbia.[6] Its operations expanded to include a fruit grower equipment supply company, a fresh fruit market in Kelowna and, in 2014, a craft cider company.[1]
For decades, the BC Tree Fruit Cooperative was known to consumers across Canada for its bright green leaf logo that adorned fruit packaging and apple stickers.[1] The co-op's slogan was "Look for the Leaf".[4] In 2017, BC Tree Fruits Cooperative had 430 grower members.[7]
In 2022, there was opposition from a large proportion of the co-op's membership to decisions made by the board of directors on the sale of co-op assets, and the decision to shutter the Lake Country fruit packing house (which forced central and north Okanagan growers to ship their fruit to Oliver in the south Okanagan).[1] At a special general meeting in November 2022, growers voted 59% in favour of removing the entire board, a result that was short of the required two-thirds majority.[8] A special general meeting on 5 February 2024 saw 70% of the co-op's voting members reject motions that aimed to unseat four of the board's ten members and change the decision-making process regarding property sales.[9]
Closure
In July 2024, the cooperative said it would no longer receive fruit at its packing facilities and advised members to find an alternative to market fruit for the balance of the season.[1] The co-op was dissolving due to decreased fruit volumes from adverse weather events, increased competition, a reduction in grower members, and aging facilities.[2]: 14 [1][5] In 2024, many Okanagan fruit farmers faced catastrophic crop losses from poor weather that included a cold snap in January that wiped out almost all the Okanagan valley's peach, apricot, and nectarine crops, and severely damaged cherry orchards.[1][10] The co-op's primary revenue source was from the sale of apples (followed by cherries and other fruits), and apple volumes declined significantly from 122 million pounds in 2018 to 60 million pounds in 2023.[2]: 14 The company sought to right-size its operations through sales of surplus real estate and modernization of its operations in a new facility located in Oliver, but overall bank indebtedness rose through 2024.[2]: 14