up front By Bryden Winsby


Two key elements at new UFV centre I


t is generally accepted that the principal functions of a university are education and research.While


the two certainly don't occur in equal measure at every post-secondary institution, there can be little doubt that themost renowned among themhave those functions firmly in place. Research expands knowledge, both


inside the institution and beyond it. The benefits can flowto teachers and learners and to the industries and occupations that are able tomake use of theirwork. The benefits can be evenmore


valuablewhen they are related to a specific region, and so it iswith the new B.C. Agriculture Centre of Excellence being established at Canada Education Park on the Chilliwack campus of the University of Fraser Valley. As our cover story providing an update on this development explains, the facilitieswill include a demonstration barn and innovative greenhouses providing on- campus venues for students to gain practical hands-on experience, pursue applied research and project opportunities, and performlab and field exercises, all in a controlled environment. The province's berry industrywill be a


major beneficiary of, and participant in, the newcentre,which offers a bachelor of business administration in agriculturemanagement, and six diploma and certificate programs that provide specialized training in berry production, integrated pest management and livestock production. One areawhere the research side isn't


likely to focus, in the short termanyway, ismarketing.No surprise there. The subject is a tough one and is sector- specific.Whatworks for applesmight notwork for oranges, or blueberries. This province, aswe all know, is a


major producer of highbush blues, but the industry has been going global in recent years. A lot of the growth in production is happening in newplaces, especially Chile and Argentina. Historically,much of the consumption increasewas attributed to existing blueberry consumers eatingmore fruit, but nowthere is a trend towardsmore people beginning to eat blueberries. A study by theU.S.Highbush


Blueberry Council released inmid- January indicates that Americans are nearly twice as likely to buy blueberries


4 British Columbia Berry Grower • Spring 2014


nowas theywere nine years ago. Askedwhat they likemost about the fruit, consumers cited health (84 percent), taste (81 percent), convenience (61 percent) and versatility (44 percent), among other attributes.


There is increased competition along


with the increased demand. Maintaining a competitive edge can involve developing newvarieties, new technologies, better infrastructure and greater efficiency. And luring newcustomers. That'swhereDebbie Etsell and the


B.C. Blueberry Council have been concentrating efforts of late, as they look to expand sales both domestically and internationally. Contributing editor Tamara Leigh


describes howthe strategy has been unfolding, and also shares some views expressed by veteran berrymarketing


consultant John Shelford,who echoes the need to employ sophisticated marketing techniques and be as cost- efficient as possible on the production side. Elsewhere in this issue, you can find


out howgrower certification under the CanadaGAP programis becoming increasingly important—not just for worker health and safety, but also to help ensure acceptance of their produce in themarketplace. We’ve also got details on the


potential threat fromcranberry fruitworm. It’s been around for awhile in other parts of the continent but was detected here only three years ago. While its presence is still somewhat limited, that could change dramatically unless everybody takes control efforts seriously.


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