A dry season continues

Growers across the province have been pinning their hopes on winter delivering the hit of moisture needed to address last summer’s dry conditions.

The Peace region entered winter at Level 5 drought for the second year in a row, while four of the province’s 34 basins – the Upper Fraser East and West, the Kettle and East Kootenay – entered winter at Level 4. Just three basins, all in the Northwest, were drought-free.

But winter has so far failed to deliver, with the latest update to snow basin indices on Jan. 10 showing much of the province with less than 75% of the snow pack usual for the date. The Stikine, Nechako and Skeena-Nass are the exceptions, at 96%, 84% and 80% of normal, respectively.

The regular water supply bulletin issued by the BC River Forecast Centre on Jan. 1 described the provincial snow pack as “extremely low,” at 44% below normal. This compares to 18% below normal a year earlier.

“The low snow pack could significantly affect ongoing drought concerns into summer 2024,” the bulletin reported, while noting, “There are still three or more months left in the snow accumulation season and the snow pack can still change significantly based on upcoming weather patterns.”

The Chilcotin and Skagit are in the most dire condition, the bulletin said, with zero snowpack. Basins across the Southern Interior, South Coast and Vancouver Island are also extremely dry, with the Similkameen at 32%, the Lower Fraser at 35% and the South Coast at 36% of normal.

Five stations in the Lower Fraser Basin reported record lows, including the Chilliwack River station. Province-wide, 15 stations reported all-time lows.

The bulletin said the low snowpack could result in various adverse effects, including on agricultural water use. However, BC Premier David Eby has said he would like to avoid the shut-downs seen last summer, which curtailed irrigation of forage crops in several drought-affected regions.

The next water supply bulletin is scheduled for release February 8.

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12 hours ago

It was another sell-out at the 31st annual Fort Langley Cranberry Festival on Saturday with organizers selling 5,000 pounds of locally-grown, fresh berries in less than five hours. Youth from the Fort Langley Lions Club's Young Lions program scooped, bagged and weighed several pallets' worth of cranberries. Ocean Spray donated the berries, which the public bought to benefit the community. Local grower The Bog was also selling fresh berries, having brought 2,700 pounds, which were on track to sell out by the end of the#BCAgt.

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5 days ago

There was a lot of reminiscing and appreciation of how far BC's turkey industry has come at a reception celebrating the 75th anniversary of the BC Turkey Association and the 60th anniversary of the BC Turkey Marketing Board yesterday in Abbotsford. With a slideshow of events and people over the years, guests laughed and had a lot to be thankful for. "It's an opportunity to celebrate the industry at a time of year that's known for turkey. It's a culmination of all the year's work," says Natalie Veles, executive director with BC Turkey Marketing Board.

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Love it - Deb Etsell I see you 🤩

6 days ago

BC was the sole province to see farmland values decline in the first half of this year, dropping 1.9% according to a Farm Credit Canada report released Octover 7. This represented an acceleration in value declines from last year, and contributed to a 3.9% decline in the 12 montsh ended June 30. The drop follows on a 1.7% decline last year, which Farm Credit Canada attributed to tougher times in the fruit sector. However, the mid-year report points to a broader slowdown in value growth diven by higher production costs, tighter margins and uncertainty around trade, tariffs and international markets.

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Ndp

3 weeks ago

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Photo | Barb Edmonson / Firefly Ranch, Clinton

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Feedback on changes to rules governing food processing in the Agricultural Land Reserve has drawn about 250 submissions. But the proposal now hangs in the balance with Premier David Eby's decision to call a snap election, which also delays discussions of assistance for farmers hit hard by this year's wildfires and historic #BCAght.

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What would you expect from the NDP, when they still had a 2 year mandate?

Ridiculous timing. We have people needing answers and have to plan for winter supplies. Fires are long past, months have gone by knowing there was going to be the need for support. Drought was written on the wall even before summer began with no snow pack. This is not new to government and they are calling for another year just as bad for 2027. I throw my hands up and wonder what else needs to be more challenging than what we've experienced over the last 6 years in BC?

250 submissions.... I'm pretty sure there are more than 250 farmers in BC