Monday December 30, 2024 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Minimum piece rates for the hand-harvesting of specified farm crops will increase by 3.9% tomorrow.
The increase that starts December 31, 2024 applies to 15 agricultural crops harvested by hand as specified in the employment standards regulation, as announced in a news release today.
Agricultural crops are obviously essential within the BC economy. Paying workers more might contribute to higher food prices but without well-paid workers in that sector the crops may not be harvested properly or on time.
This is one of the smaller increases compared to recent years. Farm-worker piece rates in B.C. were increased by 11.5% in January 2019 and 6.9% in January 2024, according to the Ministry of Labour news release today.
The Minister of Labour is Jennifer Whiteside and the Parliamentary Secretary for Labour is Darlene Rotchford.
Pay rates:
Here’s the list: peaches, apricots, Brussels sprouts, daffodils, mushrooms, apples, beans, blueberries, cherries, grapes, pears, peas, prune plums, raspberries and strawberries.
Each of the 15 hand-harvested crops has its own minimum pay rate.
A full list of B.C.’s minimum piece rates and more information about employment standards for farm workers is posted online.
| Crop | Rate effective December 31, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Apples | $24.05 a bin (27.1 ft3 / 0.767 m3) |
| Apricots | $27.67 a 1/2 bin (13.7 ft3 / 0.388 m3) |
| Beans | $0.329 a pound / $0.726 a kg |
| Blueberries | $0.558 a pound / $1.230 a kg |
| Brussels sprouts | $0.230 a pound / $0.506 a kg |
| Cherries | $0.317 a pound / $0.698 a kg |
| Grapes | $25.56 a 1/2 bin (13.7 ft3 / 0.388 m3) |
| Mushrooms | $0.332 a pound / $0.731 a kg |
| Peaches | $25.56 a 1/2 bin (12.6 ft3 / 0.357 m3) |
| Pears | $27.08 a bin (27.1 ft3 / 0.767 m3) |
| Peas | $0.411 a pound / $0.907 a kg |
| Prune plums | $27.08 a 1/2 bin (13.7 ft3 / 0.388 m3) |
| Raspberries | $0.502 a pound / $1.107 a kg |
| Strawberries | $0.484 a pound / $1.067 a kg |
| Daffodils* | $0.193 a bunch (10 stems) |
Farm workers can be paid a piece rate, hourly rate or salary for their work. All farm workers must be paid at least twice a month.
Annual increase:
This is an annual increase based on B.C.’s average annual inflation rate in 2023 and is consistent with the 3.9% increase to the general minimum hourly wage that came into effect on June 1, 2024.
After legislative changes were made to the Employment Standards Act in spring 2024, increases to the general minimum wage and piece rates will come into effect each year on June 1 and Dec. 31 respectively, based on the previous year’s average inflation rate.
B.C.’s farm-worker minimum piece-rate system has been in place since 1981.
===== RELATED:
NEWS SECTIONS: FOOD SECURITY | FOOD & AGRICULTURE