Two retired Agriculture and Agri-foods Canada scientists have been appointed to the board of the Summerland Varieties Corporation (previously known as the Okanagan Plant Improvement Company, or PICO).

They are former cherry breeder Dr. Frank Kappel and horticulturist Dr. Norman Looney.

SVC, which is owned by the British Columbia Fruit Growers’ Association, administers technical, legal, and contractual matters for owners of new tree fruit and berry varieties and operates a budwood orchard that provides growers with virus-indexed wood for grafting.