Gray skies reflected the mood May 28 but the rain held off as some 250 fruit growers gathered in Osoyoos to express their concerns and appeal for government support. The “I support BC Agriculture” rally, organized by the BC Fruit Growers Association in conjunction with the BC Grapegrowers Association, coincided with a government caucus meeting …
Millions added to Grand Forks flood mitigation
An additional $7.5 million has been put towards flood mitigation projects in Grand Forks, bringing to $39.1 million the total investment in the community since the devastating floods of 2018. The latest round of funding, delivered through the Disaster Risk Reduction-Climate Adaptation stream of the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF) administered by the Union of …
Cherry growers face smaller crop
Soft fruit growers are facing the prospect of a smaller crop this year following January’s extreme cold event and a spring frost in April. While the cherry sector will see a crop this year – unlike most other stone fruit growers, including peach and apricot producers – yields will be down significantly. “We are expecting …
Peace prepares for active fire season
The prolonged dry conditions and early start to the wildfire season in northern BC have Peace Region producers and organizations taking proactive steps to protect land and infrastructure. Over the last few months, the Peace Region Forage Association has hosted six wildland fire training sessions. The events attracted 144 participants who learned about wildfire behaviour …
Farm compensation benchmarks set
Results of a new Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council wage study highlight opportunities to improve on-farm compensation practices. The study, released May 22, drew on 609 employees across 140 organizations. It indicates that the highest-paying commodity group across all job categories was grain & oilseed while dairy and apiculture ranked among the lowest. “The weighted …
Senate report on TFWs
Ongoing concerns regarding the treatment of temporary foreign farm workers have prompted a federal committee to recommend the creation of a national migrant workers commission. A report the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology released May 21 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program recommends the creation …