Vancouver Island Agriculture & Food Processing

Agricultural production on Vancouver Island is extremely varied. Agriculture on Vancouver Island includes livestock and crop production, including fruit, vegetables, award-winning vineyards, and specialty products. Because of its temperate climate often compared to the Mediterranean, Vancouver Island has a long growing season. This makes the Island an ideal location for many agricultural endeavours, including growing fruits, berries, vegetables, Christmas trees, wine grapes, nuts, tea, grains for distilling, and raising livestock, including beef and dairy cattle, buffalo, poultry, sheep, and goats. Indeed, Vancouver Island regions like the Cowichan and Comox Valleys boast some of the most fertile agricultural lands in British Columbia.

Learn more about the climate on Vancouver Island.

Food processing on Vancouver Island includes the processing of fish and agri-food products. Vancouver Island has several significant canneries and smokehouses due to the significance of the fishing and aquaculture industry on the Island.

Learn more about Island Good, VIEA’s campaign to help consumers identify and purchase Island-made products.

For more information and information sources for this sector including employment, wages and number of business, please consult recent editions of VIEA’s State of the Island Economic Report.  

  by  Vanmag