A decision not to proceed with a state-of-the-art fruit packing plant in Kelowna left BC Tree Fruits Co-operative with no choice but to sell the property acquired for the purpose, says a respected grower. “After the decision to move to Oliver, the fate of the property was a done deal,” says Amarjit Singh Lalli, a co-op …
Warren Sarafinchan
Lake Country packing house sold
BC Tree Fruit Co-op has sold its Lake Country packing house as part of its long-term plan to consolidate operations. The sale, to an undisclosed buyer, closed on August 31, 2023 for $15.8 million. “This was a planned sale as part of the cooperative’s consolidation plan that began in August of 2022,” says Laurel Van …
BC Tree CEO on leave
BC Tree Fruits Cooperative CEO Warren Sarafinchan took an extended leave of absence, effective August 5, following a battle with COVID-19 and the toll four years of transformation at the co-op has taken. “This decision comes as he focuses on recovering from COVID and takes some much-needed time to rest with his family,” co-op chair …
Strategic partnership struck
The closure of BC Tree Fruit Co-operative’s packing lines in Kelowna and Winfield has opened the doors to a new partnership. While the co-op intends to consolidate packing operations for all fruit in Oliver, the closure of its Kelowna operations has opened the door to a partnership with Sandhu Fruit Farm in Summerland. Sandhu recently …
BC Tree challenge falls short
BC Tree Fruits Cooperative members narrowly defeated a motion to turf the co-op’s current board and management at a special general meeting in Peachland, November 22. The special meeting, held just two weeks before the co-op’s regular annual general meeting on December 12, was triggered by members opposed the co-op’s decision to consolidate its packing …
Guaranteed returns for apples
More revenue for more growers is how BC Tree Fruits Cooperative is framing the launch of a three-year program that will guarantee growers a minimum return on their apples. “The Cooperative is expanding on a program launched in 2020 by providing minimum payment guarantees to growers on a wide range of varieties, grades, and sizes …