APPROVED

SIR GROWER & INDUSTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

MINUTES of the Grower & Industry Advisory Committee meeting of the OKANAGAN-KOOTENAY STERILE INSECT RELEASE (SIR) PROGRAM held at the Pacific Agriculture Research Centre in Summerland, BC August 8th, 2001.

 

Committee Members:

            Gavin Young    - Chair             Westbank Packers Ltd.

Jack Barkwill                            BC Fru it Packers                 

Denis Larose                            Grower

Charlotte Leaming                    Sun Fresh Coop

Joseph Lucich                           Grower

Brian Mennel                            Organic Grower                                                       

Dave Mitchell                           BC Fruit Packers

Gerry Shaw                              BC Tree Fruits                                                         

Stan Swales                              Okanagan North Growers Coop

Tim Watson                              South Valley Sales       

            Brian Witzke                            Grower                                                           

 

Committee Members Absent:

Pedro Barata                            BC Fruit Growers’ Association (Oliver)                     (absent)  

Nirmal Dhaliwal                        Okanagan Similkameen Coop                                    (absent)

Tom Ouchi                               Grower                                                                     (absent)

Hugh Philip                               BCMAFF Regional Entomologist                               (absent)

Peter Waterman                       Grower / Consultant                                                  (absent)  

                                                                      

Guests:

Dr. Adalecio Kovaleski            Entomologist,Vacaria, Brazil

Christine Dendy                        MG Powell & Associates Ltd.

 

SIR Staff:

            Bob Fugger                              General Manager

            Rob Gauthier                            Zone 1 Field Manager

            Adrian McCluskey                   Public Relations Officer

Karen Nelson                           Recording Secretary    

 

AGENDA TOPIC #1:

 

Opening Remarks

 

Gavin Young introduced Dr. Adalecio Kovaleski, visiting from Brazil, who is interested in the Codling Moth program and welcomed Dave Mitchell, the replacement for Hank Markgraf, Plant Manager at BC Fruit Packers in Kelowna. Gavin noted that Christine Dendy will arrive at 10:00 am, regarding Item #2, Preliminary Report.

 

 

 

 

 

Approval of Minutes

 

Moved by  Gerry Shaw           Seconded by  Joseph Lucich

 

“Accepted minutes for meeting dated April 18th, 2001.”

CARRIED.

 

Review Resolutions

 

After review of the Okanagan-Kootenay Sterile Insect Release Boards passed minutes dated March 30th, 2001 & May 11th, 2001, the Grower & Industry Advisory Committee made the following motion:

 

Moved by  Gerry Shaw           Seconded by  Denis Larose    

 

“The Grower & Industry Advisory Committee accepts the changes that the Okanagan-Kootenay Sterile Insect Release Board made to the motion passed from the Grower & Industry Advisory Committee meeting on April 18th, 2001.”

CARRIED.

 

P.M.R.A. Meeting

 

Gerry Shaw then addressed the meeting that Brian Witzke, Bob Fugger, Glen Thayer, Gavin Young, and himself had with Wendy Sexsmith - the Chief Registrar from the P.M.R.A.

Gerry discussed a level playing field where all competitors can sell apples by using what is available to everyone else. Wendy basically responded by stating that there was no problem with that. As long as the chemical companies ask for registration, it can be done.

 

Brian Witzke noted that when Companies go in for re-registration, it costs them approximately $200.00. Some Companies could go in and re-register to change wording so that Canadian Growers are able to use those chemicals as a thinning agent (ex: Sevin).

 

Gavin stated that Wendy Sexsmith detailed the process that Companies need to follow if they are going to move quickly towards registration for fast tracking – to use data interchangeably for each zone. U.S.A. and Canada registration needs to be done simultaneously.

 

Gerry Shaw said that they had asked Wendy if any Company had been tracked, and she said no. Wendy blames this on the Companies themselves.

 

Brian Myers, from Growers Supply, will be getting together with Bob Fugger and Gavin Young in regards to this issue, to pass on to chemical companies at their next annual meeting.  

 

Bob Fugger noted that S.I.T. needs to be registered as an Agent under P.M.R.A., or it could be classified under C.E.P.A.

 

 

 

The Grower & Industry Advisory Committee then made the following motion:

 

Moved by  Charlotte Leaming Seconded by  Brian Witzke

 

“The Grower & Industry Advisory Committee tables the past motion dated April 18th, 2001 (recalled below) indefinitely.”

 

Moved by Brian Witzke                        Seconded by Joseph Lucich

 

“Whereas enormous amounts of money have been issued from the Federal and Provincial Governments, and tree fruit Growers for the SIR Program and Growing With Care Program;

 

And whereas in order to get growers to produce a safer and healthier product for Canadian Consumers;

 

Therefore be it resolved that the SIR Grower & Industry Advisory Committee ask the PMRA to initiate a zero pesticide tolerance regulation on imported fruit with residues of pesticides not registered for use in Canada.”

                CARRIED.

 

CARRIED.

 

Approval of Minutes

 

Minutes dated May 28th, 2001 had been reviewed by the Grower & Industry Advisory Committee, but had not been passed due to being side tracked. Gavin will discuss this at the next meeting.  

 

AGENDA TOPIC #2:

 

Christine Dendy then came into the meeting, and presented her report regarding Post 2005 – economic evaluation. Christine wanted it noted that this was not the final draft.  

 

Christine then made the following points:

·        Part 1 report is in a draft state at this time, and the numbers are not, by no means, finalized. This needs to be reviewed and modified prior to being re-issued. Part 1 is to define and evaluate the technical options.  Part 2 is to look at the sustainability of the Program.

See the following attachments:  

·        Summary of Costs: Low Monitoring, Continuous Treatment.

·        Summary of Costs: High Monitoring, Treatment as Required.

·        The Long Term Sustainability of the “SIR” Program.

 

Gavin questioned Christine if grower interventions make the cost factor come down?

Christine stated that it does to a certain extent – as she explained that there would not be 30 monitors running around after 2005.

 

Bob Fugger noted that personnel are being cut drastically post 2005 as well – this too makes a cut in the budget.

Christine understands that the first stage of the report is full of holes. Many questions need to be reviewed until the report can be finished.

 

Christine then continued her report with overhead copies (see attachments).

As she continued, she noted that Mike Kowaluk, and the SIR Board felt that is would be easy to stipulate nurseries into not selling Codling Moth Host trees.

                                    

The Grower & Industry Advisory Committee then made the following motion:

 

Moved by  Stan Swales           Seconded by  Gerry Shaw

 

“The Grower & Industry Advisory Committee recommends that the SIR Board bans the sales of all host trees, for urban use, at all local and reputable nurseries.”

 

AGENDA TOPIC #3:

 

The Grower & Industry Advisory Committee made the following points regarding the SIR Program post 2005 regarding the question on how to measure success:

 

IDEAS

GROWER

·        No individual orchards are out of control.

·        Can be successful with grower failures.

·        Biological measure of success.

·        Hot spots are less than ??? – needs to be decided.

·        Environmentally acceptable / sustainability (costs are no more than insecticide sprays).

·        Elimination of urban pressures.

·        Economic measure of success.

·        Population predictability.

·        Cost of control less than / equal to MD, Confirm, etc.

·        Not more than 1 spray every 5 years.

·        Elimination of moderately / highly toxic compounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following motion was then put forward.

 

Moved by  Stan Swales           Seconded by  Charlotte Leaming          

 

“The Grower & Industry Advisory Committee moves that the SIR Program is successful, post 2005, if it provides sustainable, economic codling moth control.

 

Whereas:

·        The value of damaged fruit in any orchard is no more than the cost of alternative controls per acre.

·        Total cost to growers, to control codling moth, is less than alternative environmentally sensitive controls.

·        Sterile moths are the primary control method.”

CARRIED.

 

AGENDA TOPIC #4:

 

Brian Witzke then questioned Bob Fugger, regarding concerns from Hank Markgraf that Sterile Moths will not be released in 2002 – in Zone 2.

Bob Fugger noted that if there are high counts of Codling Moth in Zone 2, it would not be worth it to release. This is speaking from the past experience dealing with Zone 1. This needs to be reviewed prior to the decision.

 

The meeting was then adjourned at 2:15 PM.

 

 

_______________________                                          ________________________

            Chairman                                                                                  Secretary