Okanagan cherry farm fined $15K for dumping cherries

An Okanagan cherry farm was in hot water with the province’s environmental regulator after it was caught burying excess cherries on the orchard.

Workers at Sandhu Fruit Farm in Summerland dug trenches and buried roughly 1,000 pounds of cherries that weren’t going to be sold.

According to the BC environment ministry, it’s an “agricultural by-product” that should’ve been taken to the landfill.

The ministry found it’s unlikely the cherries posed any actual risk by “leaching” into Okanagan Lake tributaries, but burying them without a permit “undermines the basic integrity of the overarching regulatory regime,” according to its June 3 report.

The farm, owned by Mangal Capital Inc., was already warned about burying cherries after a 2023 inspection. They weren’t yet covered with topsoil that time and environmental inspectors found cherries, 2 plastic bags and boxes in the trench.

The farm did not deny that it buried the cherries and they knew they weren’t supposed to do it. Instead, it argued an “unauthorized individual” made the decision on-site.

The company added that it now sells “non-grade” cherries for juicing to Nature’s Touch, and it would alternatively drop off any excess at the Summerland landfill, according to the ministry report.

According to environmental regulations for BC farmers, “non-grade” cherries are considered a by-product and must be “managed accordingly,” like having them dropped at a landfill or sold off for processing.

After initially considering a $22,000 fine, the environment ministry reduced it to $15,000.

iNFOnews.ca reached out to Sandhu Farms for comment.