SIR GROWER & INDUSTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

MINUTES of the Grower & Industry Advisory Committee meeting of the OKANAGAN-KOOTENAY STERILE INSECT RELEASE (SIR) PROGRAM held at held at the Summerland Research Centre in the Main Conference Room on

July 26th, 2004

 

Committee Members:

Gerry Shaw      - Chair             BC Tree Fruits    

Pierre Calissi                            BC Fruit Growers’ Association

Tarsem Dhoot                          Grower

Joseph Lucich                           Grower

Peter Simonsen             Grower

Tom Ouchi                               Grower

Paul Jeffares                             BC Fruit Packer’s Coop – Fieldman

Tim Watson                              South Valley Sales

 

Committee Members Absent:

Dave Mitchell                           Grower

Stan Swales                              Okanagan North Growers Coop

Peter Waterman                       Grower / Consultant

Wayne Matthews                     C.S.R.D. Director / SIR Board Member

Denis Larose                            Grower

Lindsay Hainstock                    Okanagan Similkameen Coop - Fieldman

Hugh Philip                               BCMAFF Regional Entomologist

Manuel Torres Jr.                     BC Fruit Growers’ Association (Oliver)

Charlotte Leaming                    Sun Fresh Coop

 

SIR Staff:

            Bob Fugger                              General Manager         

Gavin Young                            Grower / SIR Field Manager   

Karen Nelson                           Recording Secretary    

 

Call to Order -

 

TOPIC #1:

 

Appointment of SIR Grower & Industry Advisory Committee Chair

  • Will deal with this matter when more Committee members are present.

 

TOPIC #2:

 

Approval of Minutes

 

The following motion was put forward:

 

Moved by  Joseph Lucich        Seconded by  Pierre Calissi

 

“Adopted minutes for the meeting dated April 14th, 2004.”

CARRIED

 

 

 

 

TOPIC #3:

 

SIR Program Post 2005 – no SIR Program.

  • Ross Husdon consultant would provide board with cost benefit analysis for sustainable program. Was looking for guidance from the Board.
  • What do you see happening if SIR leaves. Joseph Lucich said we need to keep the program going. Gerry Shaw questioned what Ross Husdon has already sent recommendations to the Board. Bob noted that they had not been approved by the Board. Bob stated some of the points that were in the report. They were impartial. Most is geared to the benefit of the grower. Asked Ross to find out what the benefit is for Urban people so that the Regional Districts buy into the program. We don’t have a program without the Regional districts or it will cost the growers over $200/acre. Need all players on the table for an area-wide program.
  • Difficult for some growers to do the monitoring. Scrap the idea. New comers don’t even know what Codling Moth looks like.    
  • Without SIR, pressure for sprays will increase.
  • The question arose what would happen without SIT. Terms of re-infestation rates. Vary a lot from place to place.
  • Regional Districts are not going to be having very much enforcement in the urban areas. Need to keep regional districts involved. Should we submit a letter stating that we feel strongly that we need regional districts involvement?

 

The following motion was put forward:

 

Moved by  Pierre Calissi         Seconded by  Tom Ouchi

 

“The SIR Grower & Industry Advisory Committee strongly urges the continuation of the SIR Program and the support of Regional Districts. If there isn’t an SIR Program then the Regional District will see that there will be a significant financial cost, and significant social cost, & moral obligation will be required to enforce noxious insects bylaws throughout tree fruit growing regions.”

CARRIED

 

  • How much would it cost Regional Districts to take care of the urban side. $244,000 (mainly dealing with buffer zones only; no contingency).
  • 1.9 million is contributed from Regional Districts.
  • There is a cost for social obligation.
  • Urban component involves wild trees as well.
  • What do we think growers would be willing to pay?
  • Need to look at Washington paying $487/acre for codling moth.
  • Should there be a survey done on how much a grower is willing to pay?  Base that cost on organophosphates. Guthion will not be available after 2006.
  • Let growers know how much the program will cost with & without Regional Districts involvement. Members from SIR Grower & Industry Committee have a responsibility to let growers know that cost. 
  • Regional Districts are willing to pay from 0-10 cents. Presently paying 19 cents. Need a number for cost per acre. Looking for a number of what the parcel tax will be.
  • Moral issues need to be looked at. Clean Air…etc. Ross Husdons report is trying to determine these issues.
  • Organic grower, such as Peter Simonsen, would be willing to pay the whole cost.
  • What about Federal funding? They are not going to provide ongoing funding. It doesn’t fall into the environmental farm plan.
  • It’s a shame that this isn’t involved in the Green Program. Need the whole valley to be involved.
  • Ask the federal/provincial government for an extension for 2 more years for funding. The program is not over so we need financial help to reach sustainability in all areas. 

 

The following motion was put forward:

 

Moved by  Joseph Lucich        Seconded by  Pierre Calissi

 

“That the SIR Board requests bridge funding from federal & provincial governments to continue the SIR Program to enable Zones 2 & 3 to achieve the level of success to that of Zone 1”

CARRIED

 

TOPIC #4:

 

Budget 2006

  • $3.2 million involves Mating Disruption, zone operation supplies, etc. Bob listed what that all entailed as listed on the budget that was handed out.
  • Aerial release is not included in the Budget. It would be cheaper. Would still require some ATV’s. Needs to be pursued. Need research on how to get them off the ground the way we currently do releases. Aerial release would show we are making an effort to reduce costs. Bob noted that the Budget indicates the cost of how we currently deliver the moths. Every SIT program has had success from aerial release.
  • Would growers take some responsibility in monitoring? Tarsem noted that many growers are too busy to do that.
  • SIR worked out some of these financial figures by working with supervisors and asking their opinions on what has been happening now in order to make the program work.
  • Employee Relations listed on 2006 Budget ~ what does that expense involve?  Bob stated an example such as T-Shirts for staff used to identify SIR monitors.
  • Very low level releases is a control program. Many growers are not in favor of delayed release. Technical Committee will be asked to review delayed release.
  • Gas & power are a big cost factor for the facility.
  • Mating Disruption supplies: 10% Zone 1, 20% for Zone 2 & 3 & Creston at ½ rate.
  • Trapping at 1/per hectare.
  • Incentive Programs include tree removals & gift certificates if they remove their own trees, and the cost for hiring commercial contractors.
  • Tom questioned where we went with Tree Tax? There is interest, but it hasn’t been pursued. Staff prefers a cost per site versus a cost per tree. This would encourage owners to remove their trees.
  • General overhead expenses: NORD. Hoping they would do it for $100,000.
  • Community Relations: more of an information flow rather then dealing with press & newspapers.
  • Short $890,000 on our Budget. Looking for an increase other than $100 per acre. It would go up $177 per acre to cover the shortfall. Would growers be willing to pay $200 per acre? Some point in time the grower needs to decide when they will not spray. There needs to be a transition from spraying to letting the SIT do it. How long would some growers do the sprays + pay for SIT? Bob noted that the transition and risk would be a growers decision. Still ahead at the end of the season with a good crop if doing SIT + spraying. That may work for 2-3 years but you need to see a reduction in wild codling moth in order for sprays to decrease. Where is the cut off point?
  • Grower & Industry Advisory Committee members will canvass growers to see if they are willing to pay $200 per acre. That will cover the shortfall for 2006. Bright side is that if the Regional Districts do kick in funding then that cost goes down. Committee members will report their outcome at the next Committee meeting. 

 

TOPIC #5:

 

2004

  • There has been more participation from growers in spraying for cleanup.
  • Less complaints this season in Zones 2, 3, and Creston.
  • Overall looking better for transition for the Program. Growers in Zones 2 & 3 seem pleased on the control for Codling Moth this season. Need maintenance program for Zone 1. Grower participation is happening by growers calling in and reporting damage to SIR.
  • Captures in Zone 1 are alarming. Season long releasing needs to be done in each Zone. Could have done releases a little earlier. Need to maintain control measures. Need full rate Mating Disruption if it’s done. Releases in all areas.
  • If SIR has to remove infested, the owners are being taxed.

 

TOPIC #6:

 

New Business

  • 4 South Africans visited for 1 week. They have 3-4 codling moth generations a year. They are pursuing SIT. They are looking at a trial project this October covering 300 hectares. May look at purchasing moths from us. 4 trial shipments have been sent there which were successful.
  • 6 Algerians are visiting the facility at this time. They’ll be there for 2 weeks.
  • We thank Gavin for coming on board with the SIR Program.

 

Meeting Adjourned at 3:04 PM.

     

 __________________                                                           __________________

            Chairman                                                                                  Secretary