Specialty Crops F.A.Q.s

Mon, 2010/03/15 - 2:28am — admin
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What are Specialty crops?

A special crop in BC is: a new commodity, a new use for an established commodity, or an established crop new to another region. They generally are commodities that are not part of mainstream agriculture, (i.e. hay production, potatoes, tree fruits, grapes, and grain, etc.)

These special crops are typically on small acreage (owned or leased) and often involve some value adding, with the potential of substantial on farm value adding. They are mainly organic by choice, but are also organic by default in most cases as no pesticides are registered. Special crops fall into non-traditional use areas such as: aromatherapy, essential oils, herbal medicines, nutraceuticals, functional foods, fibre, floriculture, craft products and specialty oils, and generally have little or no marketing structures in place.

They are harvested or grown in three systems:

  • Wildcrafted, products gleaned entirely from the forest or grasslands
  • Agroforestry, a system where a combination of forest or forest trees and other crops are grown together, or
  • Entirely field cultivated, with the grower providing all the inputs.

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I have a property capable of growing something, what should I grow?

What can I grow on my property is the most often asked question and there is no real or quick answer as there are many options. We as Ministry of Agriculture and Lands staff are not in the business of ‘telling’ you what to grow as there are many implications that will determine an eventual answer. Three of the most common limitations are soil type, climate and plant hardiness. You need to ask three questions in answering what should I grow:

  1. Will this crop physically grow in my location?
  2. Can I sell it if I grow it? (market plan)
  3. Can I make a profit if I grow and sell it? (business plan)

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Where can I find specific information on a special or alternative crop?

Often there is limited to no information, especially in the area of agronomics (actually growing and harvesting a crop). The InfoBasket program you are on now will connect you to what is available, including BCMAL factsheets for selected crops and to other web-sites of information from various sources around the world.

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Is there any government support available for start-up growers?

There have been funding programs available in the past; they focused mainly on providing funding to offset the costs of adopting new technology or environmental enhancements. These funding programs have been terminated and grower support is now concentrated on providing growers and grower organizations with information or assistance in the areas of production, business planning, and marketing. Many low cost or free services are available through various BC Ministries. It may be possible to receive partial funding on some select projects, such as those that involve research or marketing.

There are several federally and provincially funded programs that provide support for start-up growers. Each program has different aims — some focus on exports, while others focus on research. These programs have strategic priorities and formalized eligibility and application guidelines. And many programs provide services rather than funding. Funding programs include:

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Electronic Information Service
Provides information on inspection, regulations, industry information, research and technology, and human resources.
Website: http://www.agr.gc.ca/

Agri-Food Trade Service Export Assistance
Links to Canadian and Canadian Government Export info
Website: http://atn-riae.agr.ca/export/export-e.htm

BC Agriculture Council

BC Consumer Taxation Branch

BC Investment Agriculture Foundation
A non-profit agricultural association that helps fosters growth in the agri-food industry. A secondary role is to assist industry in responding to current issues facing the sector.
Phone: 250 356-1833
Fax: 250 953-5162
Website: http://www.iafbc.ca/

Business Development Bank of Canada
Provides information on financial products, venture capital, and consulting services.
Website: http://www.bdc.ca/

Canada/British Columbia Business Service Centre
A business resource centre that provides information on starting a new business, entering new markets, accessing government programs and services, taxation, and regulations.
Phone: 604 775-5525
Fax: 604 775-5520
Website: http://www.smallbusinessbc.ca/

Canadian Trade Commissioner Service
Assists companies to succeed in the global marketplace.
Website: http://www.infoexport.gc.ca/

If you are looking for general information on export marketing, financing and logistics, go to http://exportsource.ca/, Team Canada Inc's powerful search engine.

Export Development Corporation
Provides programs that can assist Canadian exporters to compete in foreign markets.
Website: http://www.edc.ca/

Farm Credit Corporation (FCC)
The FCC offers innovative products and services to farmers and small- and medium-sized agri-businesses. The family farm has been and will continue to be the main focus of their lending operations. They also support farmer-controlled diversification initiatives and value-added agricultural operations on the farm and beyond the farm gate.
Website: http://www.fcc-sca.ca/

Industry Canada
Provides programs and funding to assist with exporting and research and development.
Website: http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/

Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD)
WD offers a network of business professionals to help with business planning and development, accessing capital, export or trade development, selling to government markets, and providing information on government programs and services for which a business may be eligible.
Website: http://www.wd.gc.ca/

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Where can I get weeds, insects and diseases identified?

There are a couple of good websites that you can go to to help identify weeds. The ministry site is http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/weeds.htm, or go to http://www.weedsbc.ca/. If these do not give you the help you need, you can take or send the sample to the weed specialist in Abbotsford or weed technician in Kamloops for further identification. Click on the following URL for the addresses of the ministry offices in the province: http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/ministry/who.htm.

Insects and disease problems need to be sent to the Diagnostic Lab in Abbotsford (where there is a fee for service). Click on the following for the information on how to send samples the form to fill out and the fee schedule: http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/lab.htm.

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What special crop will bring me the best financial return?

Financial returns depend on a multitude of things and the development of a business/market plan is the first thing we suggest. Marketing ability is the most important part of achieving a return. Most people can learn how to grow a crop quite quickly but marketing requires a set of skills that many don't possess. It is not easy to market on a global scale or locally for that matter and it can be quite costly. Being very conscious of producing high quality is an important first step. Information on developing a business plan can be found by clicking the following http://www.businessplan.com/.

Marketing information basics can be found by clicking on http://www.marketing.com/.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, have developed some ‘Planning for Profit’ economic data sheets for some crops which are available in hard copy at our office locations or the ministry's website, http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/busmgmt/budgets/index.htm. More will be developed over time.

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Do you require a license/permit to grow special crops?

There is only one special crop in BC that requires an actual license from government to grow and that is hemp. The information for this can be found on Health Canada's website at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hecs-sesc/ocs/hemp/hemp_producers.htm. (Also, see the following question for general information about hemp.)

However, there are numerous municipal, federal, and provincial acts and bylaws that regulate what you can do on your farm. Contact your municipal government for information on bylaws that will pertain to your operation. Some of the medicinal herbs, that are also noxious weeds, for example burdock, don't require a license but the regional district office may want to know they are being grown.

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Where do I find information on growing hemp?

We have a factsheet on growing hemp, which can be found by clicking on http://www.al.gov.bc.ca/speccrop/publications/documents/hempinfo.pdf [PDF] or it can be obtained at any BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands office. There are also good books available in your local library.

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Does growing ginseng on agricultural land cause problems with subsequent crops?

The past few years have seen a number of false rumours around the growing of ginseng, as well as problems for subsequent crops. There is no substantiation to any of them and in fact Wisconsin and Ontario, where ginseng has been grown up to 100 years, have never heard of these supposed problems.

The first and most often heard, is that nothing will grow for decades after ginseng. This come from the statement from WI, that you “never grow ginseng after ginseng”, a very different statement. Since 1982, we have harvested over 5000 acres of ginseng and all of this land has agricultural crops growing on it, mostly alfalfa. In fact, we are even growing ginseng after ginseng.

If the above were true, no farmer in his right mind would plant ginseng and/or lease his land for growing ginseng. As an environmental issue, no government would allow the planting of a crop that ‘ruined’ the land for decades.

When the land is returned to the owner in a lease situation, the owner is generally happy with the state of the land. There may be some issues around the amount of trash left, or the raised beds not smoothed off, but not with the land itself.

The second rumour that has surfaced is that hay grown on land previously used for ginseng will cause horses and cattle to abort or die. While there is not doubt that horses and cows have aborted and/or died, there is NO connection to ginseng. In the case of horses, to our knowledge, no post-mortems have been done, just speculation. Ginseng has been fed to racehorses in Ontario, presumably to give them more energy and to handle stress better.

The cattle have shown to have been affected by nitrate poisoning. Again this has no connection to ginseng, but to the weeds in the hay grown on the ginseng land. Pigweed, a common weed, is often a problem in newly established alfalfa crops and the first year they can be a considerable percentage of the hay. Pigweed is known to be a bio-accumulator of nitrates, which did not come from the previous ginseng.

The last issue or rumour is that ginseng uses an inordinate amount of very toxic chemicals for pest control and the question is often asked, why else would a person spraying ginseng wear a full body suit? Some comments on this are:

  • The chemicals used in ginseng are all used on some other major agriculture crop, i.e. tree fruits, potatoes, grapes, etc., or the ginseng industry can't even apply for it.
  • The chemicals sprayed on ginseng all fall into the ‘low’ toxicity range as set by the federal government.
  • Full body suits are used by the person spraying as a ‘good farming practice’, not because the chemicals are ‘very toxic’.
  • Almost all of the ginseng industry has their pesticide applicators take and pass the pesticide applicators course, even though they don't generally need it, by law, for the pesticides they apply.

I hope the above comments are helpful for you to understand that ginseng is not ruining our land or causing problems in the animal industry. Ginseng has been good for our economy, as it is almost all exported, bringing new money into British Columbia.

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Where can I find information on organic farming practices?

There is a complete community on this website, click on the following URL and we will take you there http://infobasket.gov.bc.ca/

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Are there any quotas or other methods of market allocation for special crops?

The special crops industry does not have any supply management systems in place. Growers can produce any crop in any quantity that they wish. (Refer to the question and answer on crop choice for more information.) While there are no quotas, there are many municipal, provincial, and federal acts and regulations that impact plant movement and farming in general. Contact your municipal office for more information on zoning, etc. For special crops, see “Preparing a Business Plan”, various “Planning for Profit” sheets and “How Do I Choose a New Crop”. These publications are all located in the production area of this website. Click on production in the header at the top of this page.

Marketing is a major issue in special crops as everyone is on their own.

Marketing is a big portion of the success factor as it begins with selecting proper seed or plants and ends with a deposit in your bank.

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Are there regulations that affect the movement of special crop/products within, into or out of Canada?

There are several regulations that may affect the importation and exportation of special crop plants. You may need an import permit to bring plants or plant material into Canada. Soil (and the plants that grow in it) that originates from outside the continental USA is not allowed into Canada. In addition, plants grown in soil or soilless media may need a phytosanitary certificate for import into Canada or export to the USA. Certain crops are prohibited from entry into Canada for disease or insect reasons. For more information contact the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

The CFIA offices in BC are:

New Westminster
Tel: 604 666-2891
Fax: 604 666-8577

Victoria
Tel: 250 363-3618
Fax: 250 363-0144

Kelowna
Tel: 250 470-4884
Fax: 250 470-4899

Some special crops like chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) may be affected because of the relationship to plums as a fruit crop.

A domestic movement certificate may also be required for the movement of some special crop plants within Canada.

The CFIA has numerous websites that provide more detailed information:

For a listing of the general policy directives: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/hort/horte.shtml

For regulatory information on a crop by crop basis (It also includes a downloadable application for a permit to import): http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/index/pppve.shtml

Some plants, for example ginseng and goldenseal, are covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and a CITES certificate must be obtained before they can be imported or exported. For more information on CITES, contact Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service in Ottawa (Tel: 819 997-1840; Fax: 819 953-6283). Their home page is: http://www.cites.ec.gc.ca/cites/html/eng/sct0/index_e.htm.

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Where can I get information on the pesticides registered for special crops?

One of the best sources for this is http://www.eddenet.pmra-arla.gc.ca/4.0/4.01.asp which is a search database where you put in the crop and the database will give you the registered pesticides. Keep in mind that most special crops entered will not give results, as there are generally no chemicals registered. They are in effect organic by default as far as pesticides go. This means it is illegal to use any pesticide product on most special crops. For any organic information that is available click on the following, http://www.organics.com/. There are also production guides available for the more established crops, like ginseng, tree fruits and vegetables. For a listing of the guides available, from where and the cost, go to http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/prodguide.htm

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Where can I get listings of BC special crop growers/suppliers/brokers etc?

There is a new publication available called ‘BC Herb Sources’, a directory covering four organizations in BC, and can be accessed through the BC Functional Food and Nutraceutical Network at Email: info@bcfn2.com

The four organizations are:

  1. The Associated Ginseng Growers of BC (TAGG)
  2. The BC Herb Growers Association (BCHGA)
  3. The BC Sea Buckthorn Growers Association and (BCSBGA)
  4. The BC Functional Food and Nutraceutical Network (BCFN)

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Can I get crop insurance on a special crop?

Crop Insurance is currently not available for any special crops in British Columbia.

Special crops are subject to the same types of weather related losses that most crops are. Crop Insurance can potentially play an important role in the risk management of special crops as it does for dozens of other crops already.

Crop Insurance staff with the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands look forward to working with industry representatives to develop Crop Insurance products that suit the crops they produce. We are currently working with the vegetable industry to develop alternate products to suit the diverse needs of these producers.

Please contact Murray Swan, Product Development Manager in Kelowna at (250) 861-7211 or Murray.Swan@gov.bc.ca for more information on the types of products crop insurance currently offers or to discuss your ideas for new and innovative products that could potentially be developed.

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