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- calendar_today October 9, 2026
Okanagan Grape Growers Struggle with Inadequate Crop Insurance
Okanagan grape growers are expressing concern that current crop insurance policies are not addressing the changing challenges they face as a result of climate change. They report that traditional insurance programs do not fully recognize the extent and nature of the losses they incur, particularly from new threats like wildfire smoke and volatile weather.
Weather Extremes Challenge Grape Farming
Karnail Singh Sidhu, owner of Kalala Winery in West Kelowna, has worked in the region's wine industry since 1995. Sidhu highlights the ongoing uncertainty grape farmers deal with, noting that extreme weather can alter the course of a growing season in an instant. 'Agriculture is relying lots on nature. There are lots of stuff we cannot control,' Sidhu said. 'It can be too hot, too cold, too much rain, not enough rain, smoke, and we have hails. It's all which is not in our control.'
Impact of Wildfire Smoke on Vineyards
This year, Sidhu and other Okanagan growers have had to contend with the effects of wildfire smoke. At one of Sidhu's vineyards, about 15 tonnes of grapes were affected by smoke from fires in the Summerland area. Even when grapes appear healthy and taste fine while on the vine, exposure to smoke can taint them during fermentation. The resulting wine may have smoke compounds that render entire batches commercially unusable.
Ongoing Vineyard Losses and Recovery Hurdles
Sidhu has witnessed the impact of weather damage throughout his decades-long career, recalling the significant harm that a cold spell once inflicted on his crop. Now, he faces the mounting difficulty of recovering from such events with an insurance payout that he believes does not cover the actual costs of loss or recovery associated with grape farming in an era of climate change. The challenges are shared by others across the sector, as confirmed by Jeff Guignard, CEO of the BC Wine Growers Association, who notes that smoke-tainted vineyards are a widespread problem in parts of the Okanagan.
Calls for Agricultural Policy Review
The experiences of Okanagan growers highlight a growing sentiment that provincial agricultural policy needs to evolve. Farmers emphasize that claims processes and insurance payouts must be updated to better reflect modern risks—particularly as climate change intensifies and the frequency of events like wildfires and extreme weather increases. Without these changes, many vineyard owners fear the future viability of grape farming in the region could be at risk.
Source: globalnews.ca.
