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

Okanagan agricultural producers report that current crop insurance programs are failing to address the challenges posed by an increasingly volatile climate. Growers indicate that the region is experiencing a rise in extreme weather events, including intense heat, severe cold, drought, and hail, as well as the presence of wildfire smoke.

These environmental factors pose a significant threat to agricultural viability, with the potential to destroy entire harvests or render crops, such as grapes, commercially unmarketable. The industry suggests that the existing insurance framework has not kept pace with these shifting climate conditions, leaving producers vulnerable to substantial economic losses.