Okanagan growers say crop insurance isn’t keeping up with a changing climate

Okanagan grape growers are expressing concern that crop insurance is failing to keep pace with the impacts of a changing climate on their farms. Karnail Singh Sidhu, a veteran Okanagan wine grower, notes that weather extremes like heat, cold, drought, hail, and smoke increasingly threaten his crops. Sidhu points out that while the insurance payout may cover the damaged plant, it fails to account for the years of production lost while a replacement vine matures.

Jeff Guignard, CEO of the BC Wine Growers Association, says the current insurance model is falling short as several climate disasters in succession make it difficult to accurately evaluate coverage. Smoke-tainted grapes can also lead to cancelled contracts with wineries, creating further financial losses. Guignard argues that a more reliable insurance model should be based on current production capacity and risk modeling that reflects the evolving climate conditions.

For Sidhu, the insurance system's inability to cover the full cost of recovery leaves farmers shouldering the burden of repeated climate disasters.