February 12, 2021 - 6:00 AM Over the past three decades, the number of acres in the Okanagan and Creston valleys devoted to growing apples has dropped to about one-third of what it once was. There were more than 20,000 acres of apples grown when the program started, says a report from the Sterile Insect Release program going to Lake Country council next week. That was in 1992. Now there are 7,500 acres. As a result, the report says, the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries is going to create a Tree Fruit Industry Stabilization Plan. Representatives of the Sterile Insect Release program have been invited to participate.