Photo by Kim Elsasser
BCFGA President Fred Steele and Vice President Bhupinder Dhaliwal
The BC Fruit Growers Association 2015 convention and AGM held few surprises. The annual meeting saw the approval of more than 30 resolutions and the election of the 2015 executive, including the re-election of Fred Steele, president.
“It was pretty much standard fare,” Steele said of the event overall and noted he was pleased to be able to continue with the work he had started.
“The job’s not finished,” he said. “It’s [being re-elected is] gratifying, but it’s also a humbling experience… you’re at the mercy of the thoughts and motions of the room.”
Steele is joined on the executive by vice-president Bhupinder Dhaliwal, Niel Dendy, Surjeet Nagra, Tony Nijjar, Ravinder Bains, Sukhdeep Brar and Denise MacDonald.
The guiding principle Steele sees the executive working by is to regularly ask what can be done to make the organization and other aspects of the apple business better now than how the group found it.
“When I’m an old geezer with a cane and I walk into an orchard, I’ll ask ’20 years ago did we make the right decision’,” he said. “I’m always asking myself how I did.”
Steele sees his role as one which belongs to the members of the organization.
“The process has got to be about the members,” he said. “The chair belongs to the organization.”
The replant program was discussed with resolutions passed to express appreciation to the province for the seven-year program, ask the province for flexibility in shifting replant funding between fiscal years and request the province’s cooperation in developing a federal export-oriented program.
“People had a replant program,” Steele said of one of the factors leading to a positive feeling at the meeting. “It’s stability. They are thinking, ‘I know there’s a program in 2017.’ It makes a difference.”
With the program in place, growers are able to plan for all of the planting, soil testing and other aspects needed to move forward.
Production insurance was also a highlight of the agenda with a resolution to have the insurance branch consider young orchards in revisions for guarantees, to inform orchardists of how to update coverage as needed, and have them advise growers on rules of input into the arbitration process. The members also resolved that production insurance arbitration be done by those with tree fruit and farming experience.
Several high impact issues were addressed including a request for AgriInvest to be returned to previous benefit levels, support for the government’s position on the value of irrigation water (including requesting municipal governments to consider agriculture in water allocation and pricing) and that an agricultural sustainability fund be formed from ALR exclusion funds to promote the active use of farmland.
Members also asked for funds to be restored for basic management practices, that Environmental Farm Program funds be allocated fairly throughout B.C. and among commodities, and that the idea of merging the Food Safety and EFP Program be explored.
“I think the tone was that people have a feeling we’re going somewhere,” Steele said of the meeting. “That there is a plan and that they’re part of the plan. It’s their plan. It’s not my plan.”
To aid growers in making dollars go farther, a system was requested for PST exemption on all purchases of services and supplies for farm use, exploration into biosolids as an orchard fertilizer, forming a succession plan for apple and cherry breeding research, reintroduction of deer fencing as a BMP eligible for EFP funding and that the province take responsibility for funding the steps outlined in the control plan for Apple Maggot.
Also at the meeting, the membership agreed to oppose the registration and introduction of GMO tree fruits and that the term “organic” be reserved for product sold within B.C. that meets organic certification requirements.
Overall, Steele felt that despite the many tasks ahead, the mood of the group was positive and forward thinking.
“Optimism is infectious,” he said