In the Fraser Valley Saturday, shoppers took home bags of apples at just 12 cents a pound. But this sweet deal carried a serious message about the state of B.C.'s apple industry.
In Abbotsford, customers were lining up in the rain for a chance to fill up on cheap Spartans from the Okanagan Valley.
That great deal came with a message from orchard owners.
"Twelve cents a pound. That is to show how much the growers are earning," said Glen Lucas, manager of the BC Fruit Growers' Association.
The association says that several factors are taking a bite out of their earnings this year, including the rising Canadian dollar and a cold snap last fall.
"Other reasons are retail consolidation; we don't have as much bargaining power as we used to with retailers," Lucas told CTV News.
"But more of an effect is an oversupply in the world market, and mainly for us, Washington State."
The fruit growers say they'd like to earn at least 33 cents per pound for their apples, and they don't believe that would necessarily increase the price for consumers.
"It doesn't seem that the price at the store level really goes up and down depending on what the growers get. That seems to be relatively stable," Lucas said.
All proceeds from Saturday's sale will be donated to BC Children's Hospital.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Maria Weisgarber
