Summerland will gain science and technology jobs when research on agricultural plant diseases is moved from Sidney on Vancouver Island to the local federal research station.
The Sidney lab is being closed, and some of the 40 jobs will be relocated to Summerland.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is moving activities from the Centre for Plant Health Sidney Laboratory to the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research station at Summerland.
The Sidney lab has been providing testing, virus indexing, therapy and technology development for viruses and pests of grapevines, tree fruits and other crops, according to Guy Gravelle, senior media relations officer for the CFIA.
Some of the plant disease research conducted at the Sidney facility has been:
• Plant introduction and post-entry quarantine testing of all imported tree fruit, grapes and woody ornamentals that are not accompanied by an acceptable certificate of good health from the exporting country
• Testing promising selections from Canadian tree fruit and grape breeders to ensure that original releases to industry are free from potential viruses
• Eliminating virus infections from valuable fruit, grape and ornamental clones by heat therapy
• Auditing the reliability of recognized foreign certification programs by testing plant samples from imported commercial shipments for virus infection
“Combining CFIA and AAFC expertise at one facility in Summerland will provide enhanced capacity to serve the grapevine and tree fruit industries,” said Gravelle.
“This move will ensure the important work being done by the agency is carried out in a better-equipped facility with a larger pool of scientists working together.”
“The greatest care will be taken to ensure that these activities will continue to be carried out effectively and in an appropriately secure environment in accordance with the associated pest risk,” said Gravelle.
The change is expected to be fully implemented by 2014-15.
“No changes to levels of service will result from this change,” he said.