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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 2019 New CEO appointed at BC Tree Fruits


Kelowna supply chain management specialist Warren Sarafinchan is the new CEO of BC Tree Fruits Co-operative.


Sarafinchan was appointed


Foods and Labatt. “My short-term goal is to bring the idea of team work and cooperation back into this cooperative,” McMyn told Country Life in BC when he was hired.


That job now


Ag Briefs EDITED BY PETER MITHAM


in September 2019. He succeeds Todd McMyn, who was appointed in April 2019 after a shake-up of the co-op’s executive team in November 2018. Sarafinchan brings three decades of experience to BC Tree. His previous work included serving as vice- president, sales, with Sun- Rype Foods Ltd., as well as senior positions at Mars Canada Ltd., Maple Leaf


falls to


Sarafinchan, the co-op’s fourth CEO since 2012, and highly regarded speaker


on change management, supply-chain management and game-changing leadership. All those circumstances are


in play as BC Tree Fruits works to trim costs and consolidate operations in a new facility on 85 acres purchased earlier this year near Kelowna International Airport. A timeline and budget for the project hasn’t been disclosed. An industry competitiveness study completed last year noted that upgrading or replacing facilities would be “very costly.” “[Our] board of directors and senior executive will be working closely with all levels of government over the near future laying the framework for the new facility,” the co-op


said in a statement announcing the purchase. With annual sales of close to $130 million, the grower- owned co-op is involved not only in packing fruit but supplying inputs to orchardists through its subsidiary, Growers Supply Co. It also produces cider under the Broken Ladder label and earlier this year launched a line of fruit-based alcoholic beverages under the M.O. Fruitsecco brand. —Peter Mitham


Site launched for farmers’ institutes


The province has launched a site designed to be a hub for farmers’ institutes from around BC. “Farmers’ institutes members from across the province told me they needed a portal that would help them connect and share information with each other, access timely and relevant information and enable potential new members to connect with farmers’ institutes,” BC Agriculture Minister Lana Popham said in announcing [www.bcfarmersinstitutes.ca] to institute members. The site was one of the key


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initiatives planned following the first-ever conference of farmers’ institutes in Richmond last November. While institutes have a direct line of communication to the minister, there has never been a structure or platform for


them to communicate or share information among themselves.


Superintendent of Farmers’


Institutes and regional agrologist Chris Zabek said the website allows for secure interaction between institute members, and allows the posting of documents, events and photos. Zabek has distributed details of how to use and register on the site to each institute by email. The launch of the site comes in advance of a second conference of institutes, which is planned for later this year. Details on that meeting are forthcoming. —Barbara Johnstone


Grimmer and Peter Mitham


Child labour feedback sought The BC Ministry of Labour


is making a special plea to the farm sector for input on new regulations governing teen workers.


Bill 8, which the legislature passed in May, raised the minimum employment age from 12 to 16 years in a bid to protect young workers. Youth aged 14 and 15 can still hold employment with the consent of their parents, but will be restricted to “light duty.” The definition of the phrase wasn’t defined, pending the development of regulations. The current consultation, which runs until November 15, will assist in the development of the regulation.


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“We especially would like to hear from farmers and family-run businesses who would like to have their kids involved in the family business,” the province says on the consultation’s homepage (https://engage.gov.bc.ca/chil d employment/). However, children who help out on their family’s farm aren’t covered by the legislation or the regulations the government seeks to develop unless they’re registered employees. “The new age restrictions and future regulations around light work are about employee-employer relationships – they are not about children doing family chores,” labour minister Harry Bains told Country Life in BC in a written statement. However, he said, “farming families and communities have unique circumstances when it comes to children and work.” He wants to make sure that children and work co-exist safely. “Getting kids involved in


agriculture from a young age is critical to raising the next generation of talented farmers and ranchers,” he said. “We want to be sure we are supporting this practice while protecting young people from injuries.” How many youth under the age of 16 work as employees on the province’s farms isn’t known, but WorkSafe BC saw 20 disability claims for farm workers aged 12 to 15 between 2009 and 2018. —Peter Mitham


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