Ruff's Green Houses Pleads For Government Help To Stay Alive

By 250 News

Prince George, B.C. - Agriculture Minister Pat Bell says Ruffs Greenhouses have been a major player in the tree planting business in this area and the principals have been trying very hard to work their way out of a problem that was, for the most part, not their making.

Bernie Ruff  ( in photo at right) says Farm Credit Canada is in the process of putting his business into receivership after he became delinquent on a Farm Credit loan.

Bell says Ruffs have been a major player in the seedling business accounting for between ¼ and ½ of the seedlings grown in this region "And we hope there will be a good outcome in the end."

Ruff  outlines the problem this way;  he was hit by a wind storm in October 2006 that not only destroyed a major part of his greenhouse operation but the seedlings in it as well.

"We didn’t have insurance on the crop which was valued at $2 million dollars because the insurance would have cost us about $250,000 a year."   

Ruff says on the prairies when they have a wind or natural disaster, "They are given a grant to help them out, but not so in this case, I guess because I’m in the seedling business. "

Ruff says if his business closes (which is what the Farm Credit is proposing) it will put 30 to 50 seasonal employees out of work as well as 8 full timers.

"Some of these people have worked here for the past 25 years including one woman who is now 75 years of age. Where would she get work now?"

The company has grown trees for CANFOR for the past 25 years and has operated a large cold storage facility.

"We suffered a natural disaster and we need some help to get us through the mess we are in. "  The company is in arrears with the Farm Credit to the tune of $250,000 dollars on a $2 million dollar loan on the property and equipment.

"It’s not as though we don’t feel when can’t work our way out of this" Ruff says , "we have been raising about $2 million dollars worth of seedlings annually, along with receiving $250,000 in revenue from our cold storage operations ."

MLA’s Pat Bell and Shirley Bond, says Ruff have been trying their best to help our company. "The province announced in the throne speech that they are going to ramp up planting of seedlings and I am hoping that this may be a way for the government to help us out for a year until we get back on our feet. "

The company was started by Anna and Otto Ruff in 1958 and the company has done business in this area ever since.

Ruff  is running out of options "I have been paying the staff out of my own pocket but the receivers are saying that within the next two weeks they will shut the company down and lay off all the employees and there is nothing that I can do about it. "

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