Apple growing | While waiting for the orchards of the future…

It is the emblematic fruit of our region, but on the stalls, only one in two apples comes from here. To increase our food autonomy, apple growers are asking Quebec for aid of 30 million over six years to bring about a new type of apple orchard: the high-density orchard.

“It’s the lack of vision that is very frustrating,” laments Jérôme-Antoine Brunelle, director of Quebec Apple Producers, about this long-awaited public aid.

Forget the big bushy apple trees with the branches rising in all directions. The orchard of the future is a tight corded orchard destined to become a hedge or a fruit wall.

But to achieve this, it is necessary to uproot existing apple trees, let the soil rest for a year or two, replant new varieties and then wait almost seven years before the tree produces enough fruit.

The envelope of 30 million would cover around half of the costs associated with planting 300,000 trees.

“Government assistance would help us move faster. There, we go at the rate of what companies are capable of investing, but [on en a besoin] if we want to catch up with Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, where they all have programs and who will arrive tomorrow morning with their apples on the market. »

The average density of a standard orchard is 160 trees per hectare, while that of a high density orchard is 1611 trees per hectare. Converting an orchard costs around $70,000 per hectare, Mr. Brunelle estimates. “It’s very expensive. »

This technique has many advantages. The fruits are redder, because less canopy means more sun. Labor costs are reduced because it is possible to pick the fruit from the ground or from a lifting platform.

“Just in terms of producing beautiful apples, you multiply by three,” he emphasizes.

Promote local purchasing

Isabelle Lafont is an emerging producer-packager based in Saint-Paul-d’Abbotsford. Little by little, the family orchard is transformed. Dwarf trees were uprooted to make way for plots cultivated under high density.

“It’s very expensive, so we can’t reform everything at once. We go by plot,” she explains.

All of the apples produced in Vergers St-Paul are intended for food chains. Their state-of-the-art warehouse and packing station distributes apples from several producers in the region all year round.

According to the Quebec Apple Producers, a survey carried out by the Nielsen firm shows that the market share of Quebec apples has stagnated at around 50% for several years.

“Purchasing local means that we buy fruits and vegetables that are grown in accordance with our values ​​in terms of food safety and working conditions. And it supports local families. »

Radical change “

Producer on Île d’Orléans, François Turcotte also began to establish high-density orchards to maximize his surface area.

“Agriculture is changing quite dramatically. Since the pandemic, production costs have increased enormously and we are having difficulty returning our production costs […] to the consumer. And we agree that he has had enough, too. So, we must develop our hectare of orchard as much as possible to reduce costs and to be profitable, because we only supply 50% of the apples we consume. This is absurd! »

Over the past two years, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ) has reportedly paid a little over 1 million for the modernization of orchards as part of a one-off program.

“We wish to support apple producers in their desire to adapt,” responded the office of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in a written statement. “When they submit their plan, we will be able to work with them to establish the next steps and identify the right means. »

Quebec imported 23 million apples in 2021-2022.

“Do we still want to have Quebec apples in our grocery stores or are we comfortable depending on foreign countries for our supply of apples? This is a question that must be asked. That’s food autonomy. It’s giving Quebec producers the means to produce for Quebec consumers,” recalls Jérôme-Antoine Brunelle.