Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Other fruit has been grown on the prairies for years. How do you feel a non-profit organization could benefit the overall growth of the cherry industry?
A: Cherry growers seem to want to learn from the mistakes of others and avoid the problems that will arise when growers start producing millions of pounds of cherries in a few short years.
Q: When you say CCPi is about starting a cherry industry in Saskatchewan, what types of things are being proposed outside of the marketing efforts of existing cherry processors?
A: There are a lot of hidden implications in this question. First, CCPI is not starting a cherry industry. It's members are. There are existing cherry processors but they do not have the capacity to adsorb the huge volumes of product that will hit the market in a few short years. Marketing is only one part...as important is "production" (everything from guaranteeing plant supplies to sharing best practices among growers) and "processing" (with producers' input). And a key objective of has to be that such an organization is sustainable and that it's member's farms are sustainable...and that research is sustainable. We need a healthy long term industry.
Q: Is CCPI organic?
A: CCPI is about U of S developed cherries. Some growers may decide to grow their product organic and others may not. CCPI supports both. We think there are over-riding "best practices" to growing cherries but in addition to that there are best practices to growing organic cherries. CCPI recognizes that
and intends to identify and freely share the additional commitments that organic growers must consider.
Q:Is it the aim to create a grower owned organization like the ones in Michigan and B.C. which governs the growers, sets prices, and caps supply etc. or does each individual grower have the ability to create whatever products they desire but have access to the brand label?
A:That is an interesting concept..."licensing a label" I am sure it is one of the things CCPI will have to consider. The important concept here is that growers that join CCPI will have input on all these issues and have some control over their destiny. Individual growers will always have the opportunity to opt in or out and make their own individual decisions.
Q:Do I understand it correctly that there is a proposal to have primary processing facilities in different areas of the province for growers to utilize at harvest time? Who will purchase the facilities, who will operate and maintain the facilities, and what system of charging the grower for the use, will be in place? Will these facilities accept both organic and conventional produce?
A:Regional plants are being studied. CCPI would be negligent if they did not consider all the options. It may be that some plants are owned by the region's growers, others may be privately owned. Operation and maintenance would be up to the owners. A global organization may have to set standards for the plants if the plant wishes to meet criteria that allows their output to meet the high standards that are set by the growers through using a licensed brand name. It is this high standard that will differentiate prairie grown cherries from those grown elsewhere in the world. The design template requires both organic and non-organic to be processed. Owners will decide how they set up and operate their plants. Plants will decide if they wish to meet the standards of the global organization and thus sell "branded" (licensed) product.
Q:What about processing for value added products, would there be a centralized facility as well?
A:It is too early to comment. Growers need to come together to decide if there are gaps in the processing arena. CCPI will provide that forum for growers to investigate opportunities that would benefit their individual farms.
