Kelowna, BC – Two preeminent scientists have been appointed to the Board of Summerland Varieties Corporation (SVC). Frank Kappel, retired cherry breeder, and Norman Looney, scientist emeritus, both of Agriculture and AgriFoods Canada, were appointed to the Board of SVC on August 25 by the sole shareholder, the BC Fruit Growers’ Association.
SVC is agent for some of the most successful varieties in the world, including theAmbrosia apple and Staccato cherries. SVC is also agent for promising new varietiessuch as the Salish apple (released in 2012) and the Sentennial cherry varieties
.“I am very pleased to have the interest and efforts of two of the top plant breeding /horticultural scientists in Canada on the Board of Summerland Varieties Corporation”, said Fred Steele, President of the BCFGA. “These appointments demonstrate the bond between the national cherry and apple breeding programs at Agriculture and AgrFoods Canada, and the new tree fruit variety development efforts of SVC.” Steele also recognized the important contribution of outgoing director Gordon Neish, who served sixy ears as SVC director. “Gordon Neish was instrumental in establishing SVC as a leader in plant breeder rights for tree fruits, nationally and internationally,” concluded Steele.
SVC was established in 1993 to be an agent for owners of new varieties of tree fruit and berries. SVC administers technical, legal and contractual items for the owners of the new varieties and assists in ensuring the commercial success of promising new varieties of tree fruits and berries. It also operates a budwood orchard that provides growers with true to type,virus indexed bud wood for grafting and supports scientific research and development in support of the tree fruit industry.
The BCFGA is an agriculture association with a membership of 550 commercial tree fruit growers in BC. It celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2014.
