Arjuna Berry Farms is a family run operation that has been growing berries in the Fraser Valley since 1975. Located in Abbotsford, the farm supplies fresh berries to local supermarkets and farmers’ markets. During the summer months, the family also connects with their community through an on-farm fruit stand.

A decade after planting the raspberry varietal, Malahat, the plants were no longer meeting the farm’s production and market needs. While the farm recognized the benefit of replanting, the high cost of new plants made replanting a significant financial challenge. When the Enhanced Replant Program (ERP) opened applications for Stream 3: Berry Replant, the farm applied to replant the raspberry plants with the more productive and market preferred Cascade Delight variety.

Mel Sidhu, Operations Manager at Arjuna Berry Farms, explained the motivation behind applying for funding: “We planted Malahat 10 years ago and wanted to replant but the cost was so high for new plants.”

The farm’s application was approved to replant two acres of the Cascade Delight variety. ERP funding helped make the transition possible by sharing the cost of replanting and reducing financial risk.

“We are so glad [the program] helped to share the costs of replanting.”

– Mel Sidhu

By replanting with Cascade Delight, Arjuna Berry Farms is positioning itself for improved yields, stronger market demand and greater long‑term resilience. The new variety supports the farm’s ability to remain competitive in both domestic and export markets while adapting to changing production and climate conditions.

The primary goal of ERP is to help BC producers replace damaged, diseased and low-producing plants with climate resilient varieties that produce in-demand, premium fruit. Arjuna Berry Farms project is a strong example of how the program aims to support berry growers in BC with replanting climate resilient and market-preferred varieties.

The Enhanced Replant Program is funded by the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. In February 2025, Arjuna Berry Farms was approved to receive $6,897 in funding from ERP to replant 2 acres of raspberries. For a full list of approved ERP projects, visit iafbc.ca/erp/approved-projects/.