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Dukhia Unsure About Running Yet

Feb 2, 2017 | 6:00 AM

A Vernon orchardist is still not sure if he will compete for the presidency of the BC Fruit Growers Association this Friday in Penticton.
Jeet Dukhia was nominated last fall but he has also become the President of the BC Tree Fruits Co-operative overseeing packing houses.
Dukhia remains undecided.
“I haven’t decided 100 per cent but I’m pretty busy.  We hired a new CEO (Stan Swales) at BC Tree Fruits Co-op.  I am working pretty close with him, so I have my hands full with BC Tree Fruits.”
Dukhia is spending most of his time trying to find ways to get federal funding to improve technology at BC packing plants and may not have time to run both organizations.
“When we go to lobbying for money, then I can be there so I can tell them the true story or the full story whatever you want to say because I have much knowledge about what our needs are at BC Tree Fruits.”
Dukhia says it will take millions of dollars to upgrade technology at BC packing plants to make them competitive with their international competition.
“We’ve got 45 year old plants and we are 30 years behind the Italians, French and Germans because where they have ten people running their plants we have 200 running our plants.”
BC Tree Fruits elects their new president Friday afternoon at the annual convention in Penticton.
Jeet Dukhia photo courtesy Orchard & Vine Magazine