BC has a new top vet. Dr. Rayna Gunvaldsen was appointed chief veterinarian on July 10, succeeding Dr. Jane Pritchard, who had served as top vet since 2013. A graduate of the University of Saskatchewan, Gunvaldsen specialized in herd health and regulatory medicine. Her studies also included specializations in large animal clinical sciences and swine …
NEWS
Dairy selects new entrants
Three candidates have been selected to participate in the BC Milk Marketing Board’s new entrant program. The program’s selection committee interviewed a shortlist of seven candidates and chose Katie and Kelvin Lagemaat, Breanna & Jarrod Simpson and Marlayna Van Hoepen. The three have received invitations to establish themselves as producers and must formally accept the …
Insolvency concerns grow
While bankruptcies and insolvencies in the agriculture sector are down nationwide this year, BC has seen the number of businesses facing financial trouble grow. The first five months of 2020 saw 58 businesses in the province declare bankruptcy or make proposals to creditors, according to the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy, up from 45 …
BC farm cash receipts up
BC farmers rang up a record $3.9 billion in farm cash receipts in 2019, a 13% increase over 2018. The difference worked out to $462 million, the majority of which came from the province’s newly legal cannabis crop. The province’s licensed cannabis growers saw sales of $361.5 million, up $300 million from 2018. This pushed …
COVID-19 hits cherry grower
Strict protocols designed to limit the risk of community outbreaks of COVID-19 linked to migrant workers have largely succeeded in BC. But this week, the Interior Health Authority restricted access to a Krazy Cherry Fruit Co. in Oliver after two workers tested positive for COVID-19 in an outbreak linked to cases in Kelowna. A bulletin …
Fruit growers upset about labour
BC fruit growers are facing a fourth difficult year. A recent survey by the BC Fruit Growers Association indicates that more than 67% of growers plan to harvest less fruit this year as a result of COVID-19. “We were really surprised by the number,” says BCFGA general manager Glen Lucas. “It really shows the squeeze …