More than a month after the sudden closure of the BC Tree Fruits Cooperative, a pharmaceutical company has jumped in to try and save the day.
NOVEM Pharmaceuticals has agreed to terms to purchase the BC Tree Fruits facility on Sexsmith Road in Kelowna, the cooperative’s largest controlled-atmosphere and cold-chain storage facility.
The immediate goal for NOVEM is “saving this year’s harvest,” explained CEO Colin Davison, which is why the company will lease the facility on an emergency basis until the sale is finalized.
NOVEM estimates the quick action will help the tree-fruit industry avoid the loss of as many as 25-million pounds of apples, as well as preserve the livelihoods of hundreds of growers and thousands of workers.
“NOVEM has already secured committed contracts from most of the major packing houses in BC’s Interior and the space is expected to be 100% committed prior to Sept. 15 – just one week after possession,” explains a media release.
The emergency lease on the facility will run through the entire fruit season or until the purchase is officially finalized.
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According to the NOVEM website, the company specializes in combining processing and packaging, and has cold-chain warehouses and distribution services for the agrifood, pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries.
Davison says he believes his company can play a role in helping farmers create a modernized version of the Canadian tree-fruit industry in BC, but they can’t do it alone.
“Strengthening Canada’s food security should be of national interest and a priority for all levels of government over the long term,” he said. “Private industry is doing its part, but it will take government support to cultivate an industry that is more sustainable and stable.”
The company notes that finalizing and funding the purchase of the BC Tree Fruits storage facility is expected to require support from both the provincial and federal governments.
Looking further into the future, NOVEM says it plans to continue storage operations at the Sexsmith Road facility and expand it to accommodate further growth plans.
Those plans include upgrades to existing operations, as well as an increase in overall controlled ambient storage and cold-chain capacity to support the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries.
To learn more about NOVEM Pharmaceuticals, click this link.
