Friday January 2, 2026 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The minimum piece rates for hand harvesting of specified farm crops increased in BC by 2.6% on December 31, 2025.
The increase applies to 15 agricultural crops harvested by hand, as specified in the Employment Standards Regulation.
The hand-harvested crops are peaches, apricots, brussels sprouts, daffodils, mushrooms, apples, beans, blueberries, cherries, grapes, pears, peas, prune plums, raspberries and strawberries.
Diet and grocery costs:
The listed fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers are key components of healthy diets and the BC economy.
Increases in food production of course likely lead to increases in food prices at grocery stores and for wholesale use for hospitals, school food programs and restaurants.
Specified rates:
Each of the 15 hand-harvested crops has its own minimum pay rate — by the pound, the bin or bunch.
Annual increase:
This is an annual increase based on BC’s average annual inflation rate in 2024 and is consistent with the 2.6% increase to the general minimum hourly wage that came into effect June 1, 2025.
After legislative changes were made to the Employment Standards Act in spring 2025, increases to the general minimum wage for piece rates will come into effect each year on Dec. 31, based on the previous year’s average inflation rate.
B.C.’s farm-worker minimum piece-rate system has been in place since 1981.
Farm-worker piece rates in B.C. were increased by 11.5% in January 2019 and 6.9% in December 2024
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NEWS SECTIONS: FOOD SECURITY | FOOD SUPPLY | NUTRITION