Dalbir Benipal, a blueberry producer and veterinarian from Abbotsford, has been named the next head of the British Columbia Blueberry Council. Following the council's annual general meeting in late June, Benipal narrowly defeated fellow grower Jason Smith at the first meeting of the council's nine directors. Smith earned four votes, while Benipal received five.
Smith will take over as Vice-chair, which was previously held by Benipal.
Benipal takes over from Jack Bates of Tecarte Farms in Delta. He is the first Indo-Canadian to hold the position of the Chair of British Columbia Blueberry Council.
Benipal moved to Canada from India in 2000 and began working as a small-animal veterinarian in 2002 in his practice. He began farming in 2011, a decision he made based on his background in Punjab, India's predominantly agricultural region.
Many of the more than 600 blueberry producers who farm the province’s 27,000 acres of blueberries are Indo-Canadian, and Benipal says the he feels he can build the types of connections that would help them succeed.