BC farmgate sales are set to rise 2% this year to $4.8 billion, but net cash income will drop 12% due to a 24% decline in program payments. This will push total net income even further into the red, with the sector set to losing $304.9 million this year following a loss of $221.6 million …
Domestic labour gap grows
New figures from the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council indicate a growing farm labour gap in BC. By 2030, the province’s farm sector will face a shortfall of 17,716 domestic workers, up from 16,075 this year. Of 12,655 farms surveyed by CAHRC, 42% indicate challenges finding needed workers and 29% report zero domestic workers applying …
Forecasting will improve with AI technology
ABBOTSFORD – Producers can’t control the weather, but they absolutely need the most accurate forecasts to determine the right times to plant, spray, harvest, and so on. “Farmers need confidence in the forecast to do their work,” agricultural meteorologist Andy Nadler of Peak HydroMet Solutions in Campbell River told producers attending the Lower Mainland Horticultural …
Awards generate buzz for BC beekeepers
CRESTON – The year is off to a roaring start for Kootenay beekeepers Amanda Goodman Lee and Jeff Lee. Facing stiff competition at the prestigious American Beekeeping Federation’s (APF’s) 2024 American Honey Show in New Orleans in January, their honey took home top prize in several categories including Best of Show. A week earlier, one …
New replant funding announced
A new $70.5 million replant program was announced March 13 at the BC Wine Insight conference in Penticton by Premier David Eby and BC Agriculture and Food Minister Pam Alexis. The program will see about $65 million disbursed to farmers net of IAF administrative expenses, with $18 million for berries, $23 million for grapes and …
Drought preparations spring ahead
The BC government has started preparing for potential drought and wildfire this summer with the formal announcement of $83 million in agricultural water infrastructure, such as sloughs and water systems. The funding tops up the initial funding announced in 2023 to $113 million, and supports a three-year initiative to improve the resilience of farms and …