Thank you, Alex.
First of all, to go back to the science cluster initiative, I think it was a fantastic idea that was really allowing industry to lead things--developing and identifying priorities, developing project proposals, and then tapping into 75% government funding. That was a fantastic initiative. But in the end, because it was so new to everyone, the whole program wasn't figured out and the goalposts kept changing. This was frustrating for industry. We didn't know where we were from one day to the next. Fortunately, as time has gone along, we have projects under way, and we're capitalizing on the federal government's generous funding.
As for the Summerland research station, we've had gaps. We haven't had a research pathologist for two or three years now, ever since Dr. Peter Sholberg retired. We had Dr. Frank Kappel with the cherry-breeding program. He's had a fantastic track record. He's just retired. So now we don't have a cherry breeder in Summerland. I'll remind this committee that Summerland is world-renowned for cherry breeding. Some 80% of the new cherry varieties worldwide have been developed at Summerland. So there's been some real prestige for the Canadian plant breeding program right here in Summerland as a result of that individual.
Now we have one plant breeder. Her specialty is apples. We'd like to have someone come in and work on cherries, because of the proven track record.
And there are other retirements that are imminent. We need to keep the capacity going in our research facilities. Horticulture is kind of small in the scheme of Canadian agriculture. We don't export as much as other sectors, like grains and oilseeds or beef and pork. But horticulture is important. And we need to maintain our prominence in Canadian research. That's why we're gravely concerned with the slow recruitment of replacements to fill these important positions that work on industry priorities.