Wine grapes growing at Blind Tiger Vineyard in Lake Country (photo by Liam Verster / Vernon Matters)

By Liam Verster

Apples, Cherries, Grapes Among the Crops

Minimum wages for hand harvesters increasing in the new year

Dec 28, 2023 | 12:00 PM

The minimum piece rates for hand harvesting specified farm crops in B.C. are going up in the new year.

Effective Monday, Jan. 1, the rates will increase by 6.9 per cent for farm workers harvesting 15 agricultural crops by hand, including several that are grown in the Okanagan Valley like grapes, apples, and cherries.

Each of these crops have their own minimum pay rate, which can be seen below:

The piece-rates for hand harvesting crops starting Jan. 1, 2024 (graphic courtesy of the B.C. Government)

The rate for daffodil harvest does not include vacation pay.

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The Ministry of Labour said the rate increase was based on B.C.’s average annual inflation rate in 2022 and consistent with the 6.9 per cent increase to the minimum hourly wage that came into effect June 1, 2023.

B.C. has had a piece-rate system for farm workers hand harvesting crops since 1981.