BCFGA Elects Experience and Media Savvy The BC Fruit Growers Association looked for experience and media savvy in a new president this year, voting in former vicepresident Fred Steele over incumbent Jeet Dukhia. Steele served as VP until 2011 under then-president Joe Sardinha, a highly regarded leader who successfully piloted the BCFGA for many years. In the Feb. 15 election, a coalition of farmers worked to draft Steele as a presidential nominee, and corralled the votes he needed to win.
Photo by Gary Symons
"It was a diverse group who came together and put aside their own differences to work for positive change," said Steele. "I did not fully intend to run for the presidency until people came to me and said, will you do something? I think people wanted to have more rejuvenation of the association." The coalition may also have been looking for more stability. Dukhia, a cherry orchardist from Vernon, stepped in to assume control of the BCFGA after the tumultuous and short-lived leadership of Kirpal Boparai. He resigned the presidency in December, 2012, after he broke ties with the Okanagan Tree Fruit Co-operative.
Growers vote in Fred Steele as President at the BCFGA AGM.
Dukhia was seen as a moderate who brought stability back to the BCFGA, and defeated Steele in an election just one year ago.
Complete Results for the 2014 BCFGA Election
However, not everyone was happy with the Association’s performance over the past year.
Bhupinder Dhaliwal, Oliver, Vice-President
Growers suffered losses of up to $18 million after hail storms in the Central and North Okanagan, and a bout of severe frost in the South Okanagan. The BCFGA's attempt to access federal disaster relief failed, and prior to the election, the future of crop insurance dominated discussion.
Sukhdeep Brar, Summerland, South District
As well, Dukhia had said he secured a verbal commitment from Premier Christy Clark to restore the subsidy for replanting programs, but that funding announcement has not yet materialized.
Sukhdev Goraya, Kelowna, North District
Fred Steele, Kelowna, President Peter Simonsen, Penticton, South District Ravinder Bains, Keremeos, South District Surjit Nagra, Kelowna, North District Niel Dendy, Kelowna, North District
and communications background that would help the BCFGA improve its public image, and wrestle a better deal from government.
The election did not fall on a difference in platform, as both Steele and Dukhia agreed on all of the critical issues. Rather, growers appeared to feel Steele had a better chance of solving some of the bigger problems facing growers this year.
"The first (priority) is to continue with a long-term, 10 years or more replant program, and the second one is we have to ensure that farmers are covered from one end of the season to the other," Steele said. "We have some proposals we can put
In a well-crafted speech, Steele pointed out he has a media
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