A survey on the services of the province’s Animal Health Centre wraps up this week as the province conducts a review of its services to the sector. The lab at the Animal Health Centre in Abbotsford offers both post-mortem services as well as more than 400 diagnostic tests for both animals and plants. The lab …
BC Cherry holds AGM
The BC Cherry Association held its annual general meeting in Kelowna on February 23. While the industry continues to expand its access to international markets, with last year witnessing the first official exports to Korea, domestic growing conditions are a concern. “We saw damage from the freeze of late December 2022 and then 30°C spring …
BC Veg mandate questioned
The recent expansion of the BC Vegetable Marketing Commission’s mandate to the entire province has caught vendors at northern BC farmers markets by surprise. Several growers and market vendors received letters from BC Veg alerting them to the potential impact on their operations and the possible need for them to become licensed. The letter was …
Land Act changes deferred
The BC government has deferred plans to amend the Land Act, which governs management of Crown lands in the province. “Our government has decided not to proceed with proposed amendments to the Land Act,” Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Minister Nathan Cullen announced February 21. “That’s the best news story we have heard all year,” …
Budget recognizes climate risks
The province’s agriculture ministry will see a 16% increase in funding this year, entirely due to the ongoing losses farmers are experiencing from extreme weather. The provincial budget delivered February 22 allocates an additional $18.4 million to the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. The increase gives it a total …
Fruit growers discuss challenges
Bad news was the order of the day as orchardists gathered for the 135th annual convention of the BC Fruit Growers Association in Kelowna, February 20. “It has been a difficult time for all tree fruit growers,” BCFGA president Peter Simonsen noted in his report. While the 2023 apple crop rebounded from the effects of …