Cover Story
New president determined to make positive changes
Kirpal Boparai believes stronger BCFGA leadership can convince government to improve its support for growers.
By Judie Steeves T
he first East Indian president of the B.C. Fruit Growers’ Association says he is concerned
about the next generation of farmers, because growing tree fruits is not a profitable occupation today. Kirpal Boparai farms 70 acres in
East Kelowna and currently has one son, Eirndeep, who is taking science at McGill University in Montreal rather than working in the orchard alongside his father. His other son, Ajay, is only 15 years
old and still in school, but Boparai is hopeful there is more chance he will one day take over the family operation. So, he wants to make changes so
that growing apples will again make money for the farmer and young people will want to go into the orchard business. “The kids watch us work like this
and they don’t want to go into the orchard industry. It’s just not making any money. Unless things change they don’t want to run the farm,” he explained. At 50 years of age, Boparai has spent
his life farming, following in the footsteps of his ancestors who farmed in India for generations as far back as the family remembers. “It’s in our blood.”
JUDIE STEEVES
Kelowna orchardist Kirpal Boparai wants to see struggling fruit growers get a lot more in the way of direct financial support.
For five years or so, he managed Canada West Tree Boparai came to Canada, and to Kelowna, at the age of
11. His father was already working on local orchards. “When we came here I used to help him in the orchards,” remembers Boparai. His father passed away when he was 16 years old, and
he continued to work summers in the industry and full- time after he graduated from high school.
Fruits, and it was while he was there he bought his own acreage in East Kelowna. The Boparai home is on 23 acres, but there are three
other parcels in the area, some of which he leases, where he is also growing tree fruits. He grows mostly apples: Galas, Macs and Reds, much of it young plantings. However, he is turning some of it into cherries and now has 10 acres in Lapins, Staccatos, Rainier and a couple of
British Columbia FRUIT GROWER • Spring 2012 7
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