The BC Fruit Growers’ Association has re-elected Fred Steele as president for another term.
The election, held at the growers’ annual convention in Penticton this past Saturday, saw the following members elected as the executive: Bhupinder Dhaliwal (vice-president), Niel Dendy, Surjeet Nagra, Tony Nijjar, Ravinder Bains, Sukhdeep Brar and Denise MacDonald.
For the second year in a row, Steele edged out former president Jeet Duhkia to reclaim his position as president.
“It is an honour to have the confidence of the membership,” said Steele after the election. “I am looking forward to working with the executive, but we will miss the contributions of Peter Simonsen and Sukhdev Goraya, who were not re-elected.”
Steele said almost all of the resolutions were approved by the membership and he is looking forward to a productive year.
The following are some of the resolutions approved at the convention: the reintroduction of deer fencing as a Beneficial Management Practice eligible for EFP funding; continue to provide financial support for the starling control program; that there be government funding to fully service the chipping of all orchard wood waste; and support the development of a valley-wide drought management plan.
The BCFGA’s 126th annual convention at the Penticton Lakeside Resort saw a visit from B.C. Minister of Agriculture Norm Letnick.
Letnick received loud applaused when he announced to growers from around B.C. that the BCFGA were selected as the administers of an $8.4 million, seven-year replant program.
The replant program allows farmers to take existing stands of trees with older fruit and replant new varieties that will afford them more money. The partnership provides government assistance with a third of the cost of the replant on average.
The provincial strategy moving forward is focused on quality and differentiating the B.C. market from the rest of the world, said Letnick.
“That’s the biggest strategy we have is helping people convert their existing, low-margin fruits to higher margin fruits, and that’s where the replant program comes in,” Letnick said.
He said that American producers have more acres under production resulting in a lower cost per pound as well as lower land costs. Creating quality and unique products is the way to differentiate according to Letnick.
“That’s why apples like Ambrosia Honeycrisp and others help us do that. Late harvest cherries help us do that,” Letnick said.
“We have a great product, how do we get more people to buy it.”
LYONEL DOHERTY
Special to the Times
Fred Steele. (Lyonel Doherty photo)
