Vegetables
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British Columbia (BC) is Canada's top fruit producer and second-largest greenhouse vegetable producer. The province also produces field vegetables and mushrooms.
Vegetables
Greenhouse vegetables: BC is the second-largest greenhouse vegetable producer in Canada
Field vegetables: BC is the third-largest field vegetable producer in Canada
Other vegetables: BC grows asparagus, beets, carrots, celery, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, lettuce, peas, potatoes, radishes, rhubarb, spinach, and tomatoes
The province's most lucrative crops on a per-acre basis are spinach, at $28,051 per acre, followed by kale at $21,932 per acre. Its fast-growing counterpart, lettuce, generated farmgate receipts of nearly $9.5 million for growers last year, or more than $15,855 an acre (Mar 1, 2023)
The Cariboo-Central region of British Columbia is well suited for growing vegetables like potatoes, cabbage, turnips, and carrots in its sandy or silty loam river bench soils. Areas with ancient glacial lake bottoms are high in clay, but can be used to grow forage crops and grains with proper soil management.
Some other vegetables that grow well in British Columbia include: Asparaus, Beets, Celery, Corn, Cucurbits, Eggplant, Garlic, Leeks, Lettuce, Parsnips, Mushrooms.
Hazelnuts are also grown.
Some of the most profitable crops to grow in British Columbia per acre are:
- Spinach, at $28,051 per acre
- Kale, at $21,932 per acre
- Lettuce, at more than $15,855 per acre
Some vegetables that are easy for beginners to grow include:
- Leafy greens
- Root vegetables like radishes, turnips, and carrots
- Cucumbers
- Broccoli
- Peas and snow peas
The best times to plant a vegetable garden are spring (March to May) and fall (mid-July to September).
Regulation
The BC Vegetable Marketing Commission regulates several varieties of vegetable intended for processing, including broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, peas and beans. These crops are grown under contract with B.C. processors. Other storage crops, such as table potatoes, rutabagas, carrots, cabbage and beets also fall under BC Vegetable Marketing Commission regulation.
Growing these high-volume storage crops requires quota, which is allocated based on a combination of the five-year average of growers and additional annual demand in the marketplace. Unless the grower has been exempted, regulated crops are marketed through a designated agency of the BC Vegetable Marketing Commission.
Fresh-market vegetables are mostly unregulated in B.C. This includes sweet corn, cole crops (e.g., broccoli), cucurbits (e.g., squash) and leafy vegetables.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency's mandate is to ensure a safe food supply for everyone. Other local, provincial and federal legislation and regulations apply.
These articles briefly describe the result of the BC Vegetable Marketing Commission’s province wide mandate as set out in January 2024. These are regional producers who have voiced concerns.
www.burnslakelakesdistrictnews.com
This article updates the BC Vegetable Marketing Commission’s general orders which delays the implementation of province wide rules until Jan. 1st, 2026, so that northern producers can be consulted on vegetable production in the north.
