ABBOTSFORD – BC’s turf industry has yet to recover from the double effects of the pandemic and the November 2021 floods, which sped up the contraction of a sector heavily concentrated in the Fraser Valley. Sales were already on a downward trend from the sector’s peak of $12 million in 2017, although they rebounded slightly …
NEWS
Ranchers’ markets, practices praised
Vernon was the venue for the BC Cattlemen’s Association’s 95th annual general meeting and convention, May 25-27. Hosted by the North Okanagan Livestock Association, the event attracted about 400 registrants, according to NOLA president Lani French. “I believe that is on par with the Canadian Cattle Association national that was held in Penticton last August,” …
Berg appointed WMP CEO
A swift but extensive selection process has secured the Western Milk Pool a chief executive officer to oversee the group’s transformation into the coordinating body for the five Western dairy associations. Nolan Berg of Edmonton was chosen following interviews in mid April that reviewed a shortlist of candidates from both within and outside WMP’s member …
KPU genomics lab expands
Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Applied Genomics Centre in Surrey has added a second lab space with an additional $1 million from the BC Knowledge Development Fund and funding from industry partners. The new space more than doubles the centre’s space. “It’s really about capacity – increasing the number of students that we can have and the …
BC snowpack runs off
High heat over the past two weeks has pushed the BC snowpack well below average for this time of year. The latest update to the BC Snow Basin Indices released May 19 indicate that many basins through the central Interior as well as across northern BC are well below average for this time of year. …
Vintners fine-tune estimates
With bud break underway, grape growers are finding that preliminary estimates of severe damage from an extreme cold weather event in late December are accurate. “Preliminary anecdotal reports indicate that our vintage 2023 winter damage modeling of a 50% crop decline is being realized,” a newsletter from industry association Wine Growers BC reported this week. …