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Originally published:

MAY 2022
Vol. 108 Issue 5

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Stories In This Edition

Greening up

On red alert

Ag show pivots to in person

Four options floated for flood mitigation

Sidebar: Four options; a lot at stake

Editorial: An enviable position

Back 40: A quarter century of gratitude and appreciation

Op Ed: Will food security be rooted in soil or software?

Province doubles vet school seats with funding

Ag council caps a year of changes, challenges

Thank you

Ag Briefs: Court offers no relief for mink farmers

Ag Briefs: Grape crop short and sweet

Ag Briefs: Gala winners

Vegetable sales remain strong

Vertical farms face regulation

Dahr steps down as AgSafe BC chair

Packers protest apple marketing commission

Egg farmers urged to register for compensation

Third round of replant money for raspberries

Raspberry prices show promise

Apiarists fear heavy winter losses

Sidebar: Genome BC partners with IAF to deliver new program

Strawberry levy to increase

Welcome back!

Thinking twice about digital marketing

Sidebar: Digital tips for farm marketers

Ranchers facing rangeland losses

Strong demand but uncertain feed outlook for beef

Farm News: The kids are alright

Blueberries need more than honeybees

Forum highlights made-in-BC ag innovation

Double-checking

Big data poses challenges and opportunities

Tiptoeing through the tulips

Business planning turns risks into opportunities

Three-fold growth marks hazelnut sector’s recovery

OrganicBC undertakes structural review

Growth surges in specialty mushrooms

Sidebar: Mushroome xports take top spot

Chilliwack plowing match marks its centennial

Woodshed: Kenneth’s encounter with nature goes sideways

Research: Research shows lack of data on butter hardness

Jude’s: Brunch for special people

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4 days ago

A turkey farm in West Abbotsford is the second commercial poultry flock to tested positive for avian influenza since the initial case was reported in Enderby on April 13. CFIA announced the case May 19, but has yet to define the control zone. Ray Nickel of the BC Poultry Association says more than 50 farms are in the vicinity of the infected premises, meaning control measures — including movement controls — will have a significant impact on the industry. The supply of birds moving into the country from US hatcheries will also be affected, compounding the host of supply chain issues growers have been dealing with over the past year. A story in our June issue will provide further details. ... See MoreSee Less

A turkey farm in West Abbotsford is the second commercial poultry flock to tested positive for avian influenza since the initial case was reported in Enderby on April 13. CFIA announced the case May 19, but has yet to define the control zone. Ray Nickel of the BC Poultry Association says more than 50 farms are in the vicinity of the infected premises, meaning control measures — including movement controls — will have a significant impact on the industry. The supply of birds moving into the country from US hatcheries will also be affected, compounding the host of supply chain issues growers have been dealing with over the past year. A story in our June issue will provide further details.
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2 weeks ago

The province has extended the order requiring regulated commercial poultry operations to keep their birds indoors through June 13. Originally set to expire this Friday, the order was extended after a careful review by the province's deputy chief veterinarian. Poultry at seven premises, all but one of them backyard flocks, have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza since April 13. The order allows small-scale producers to continue pasturing their birds outdoors provided biosecurity protocols developed by the Small-Scale Meat producers Association are followed. ... See MoreSee Less

The province has extended the order requiring regulated commercial poultry operations to keep their birds indoors through June 13. Originally set to expire this Friday, the order was extended after a careful review by the provinces deputy chief veterinarian. Poultry at seven premises, all but one of them backyard flocks, have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza since April 13. The order allows small-scale producers to continue pasturing their birds outdoors provided biosecurity protocols developed by the Small-Scale Meat producers Association are followed.
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Sounds like 2 weeks to flatten the curve turning into 2 years.

USDA doing avian vax research, May 11 bio-docs to UN incl section on H5N8 w/wild bird spread. Found link to apparent pre-release on May 11 Geller Report. Good luck farmers.

3 weeks ago

Two more small flocks in BC have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. The latest cases are in Richmond and Kelowna. CFIA is in the process of determining a control zone around the property in Richmond, the first report in the Fraser Valley of the H5N1 strain of the virus among poultry. Speaking to Country Life in BC this week, federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said CFIA staff are working diligently to address outbreaks, and she encourages small flock owners to do the same. While commercial farms have tightened biosecurity measures, owners of small flocks have greater freedom. “Some smaller ones don’t necessarily have these measures in place,” Bibeau says. “They should also be extremely careful, because if we have a case in a backyard flock ... it could have an impact on bigger commercial installations.” ... See MoreSee Less

Two more small flocks in BC have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. The latest cases are in Richmond and Kelowna. CFIA is in the process of determining a control zone around the property in Richmond, the first report in the Fraser Valley of the H5N1 strain of the virus among poultry. Speaking to Country Life in BC this week, federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said CFIA staff are working diligently to address outbreaks, and she encourages small flock owners to do the same. While commercial farms have tightened biosecurity measures, owners of small flocks have greater freedom. “Some smaller ones don’t necessarily have these measures in place,” Bibeau says. “They should also be extremely careful, because if we have a case in a backyard flock ... it could have an impact on bigger commercial installations.”
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Killing our food chain. How do we know they are actually carrying a virus, look what's taking place with covid, is it real.

Ik kan niet zo goed Engels maar als ik het goed begrijp is bij jullie ook vogelgriep maar nog niet bij jullie

Any idea when this episode or bird flu might be over?

3 weeks ago

Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC welcomed its first new members in 20 years at its AGM on April 27. The BC Blueberry Council, BC Cherry Association, BC Cranberry Marketing Commission, BC Food & Beverage Association, BC Meats and Organic BC were approved as members, bringing the IAFBC’s membership to 15 farm and food organizations. IAFBC is also growing in responsibility, managing a record $8.3 million in funding from six funding agencies and developing new programs to support the agriculture sector including Farmland Advantage and Agricultural Climate Solutions. ... See MoreSee Less

Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC welcomed its first new members in 20 years at its AGM on April 27. The BC Blueberry Council, BC Cherry Association, BC Cranberry Marketing Commission, BC Food & Beverage Association, BC Meats and Organic BC were approved as members, bringing the IAFBC’s membership to 15 farm and food organizations. IAFBC is also growing in responsibility, managing a record $8.3 million in funding from six funding agencies and developing new programs to support the agriculture sector including Farmland Advantage and Agricultural Climate Solutions.
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4 weeks ago

A second BC flock has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the province reported this evening, April 25. The small backyard flock of chicken and ducks near Kelowna has fewer than 100 birds and is relatively isolated. This is the second backyard flock to be suspected of high-path avian influenza in the past week. The other, on Vancouver Island, was found to be AI-free. Amanda Brittain, chief information officer with the BC Poultry Association’s emergency operations centre, says the latest case is of minimal concern to industry because there are no commercial flocks within 12km of the premises. ... See MoreSee Less

A second BC flock has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the province reported this evening, April 25. The small backyard flock of chicken and ducks near Kelowna has fewer than 100 birds and is relatively isolated. This is the second backyard flock to be suspected of high-path avian influenza in the past week. The other, on Vancouver Island, was found to be AI-free. Amanda Brittain, chief information officer with the BC Poultry Association’s emergency operations centre, says the latest case is of minimal concern to industry because there are no commercial flocks within 12km of the premises.
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Apiarists fear heavy winter losses

Beekeepers need more options for controlling mites

May 1, 2022 bySandra Tretick

BURNABY – Beekeepers across Canada were in for a shock when they opened their hives this spring to check on colony health. The Canadian Honey Council (CHC) confirms severe losses from Alberta to Quebec.

“Nationally, it seems to be very high. We may come close to 40%,” says CHC executive director Rod Scarlett. “But on the two coasts I have not heard of any disasters.”

The 15-year national average is below 26%.

BC beekeepers open their hives earlier than those east of the Rockies, but it is unclear as yet what the numbers will be here. The province’s annual survey on wintering losses won’t be complete until June, and the BC Honey Producers Association is reluctant to comment on overwintering numbers at this point because of concern that its observations might be skewed to a particular area or operation.

Last year, BC reported losses of around 32%.

Further east, these high losses have some beekeepers calling on the federal government to relax the ban on bee package imports from the US. Currently, packages and queens can only be imported from select countries and the US is not on that list. When a large commercial beekeeper has to build up colony numbers quickly after a heavy loss, they’d like more options.

Scarlett says package imports from Italy are expected to be approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) within the next month. CFIA, however, has no plans to perform a new risk assessment for import of honeybee packages from the US, as they say there has been no indication that the level of risk has changed significantly  since the last assessment in 2014.

Mites to blame

Ineffective control of the Varroa destructor mite within colonies is the main reason for overwintering losses. As mite numbers go up during the active season, the bees weaken and eventually the colony dies.

“We all agree that varroa is the No. 1 challenge of beekeepers, not only in BC but in Canada and worldwide,” says Nuria Morfin, technology transfer program lead for the BC Honey Producers Association (BCHPA). “It’s the No. 1 cause of overwinter colony mortality.”

Many would like to see more emphasis placed on monitoring for pests like varroa and better integrated pest management (IPM). Done properly, IPM can keep mite numbers in check. The target is two or fewer mites per 100 bees.

Effective IPM includes monitoring mite numbers, cultural techniques to prevent reproduction, and mechanical or chemical treatments to reduce mite levels. Apivar, one of the most reliable acaricides (miticides) for treating varroa in Canada, is now showing some evidence of resistance. Other chemicals can be more difficult to apply or require exacting timing or temperatures for effective treatment.

Beekeepers say new IPM tools could aid in the fight against varroa.

“The reason why we have such high overwintering loss numbers this year nationally seems to be varroa and the lack of tools for beekeepers to control varroa,” says Scarlett. “So the testing and approval of new products is paramount to the success and livelihood of the honey industry in Canada.”

A new acaricide developed at Simon Fraser University is showing promise.

SFU chemistry professor Erika Plettner discovered the compound in her lab a number of years ago when she was looking for feeding deterrents for cabbage looper. It’s a synthetic compound that closely resembles products typically produced by plants. When she turned her focus on bees, she found that this particular compound, nicknamed 3C, also slows down varroa mites and eventually kills them. Plettner says it doesn’t visibly harm the bees and has no adverse effects in vertebrates.

After a series of laboratory experiments, she did the first field trial in 2019. Another one planned for 2020 was cancelled due to the pandemic, but she was back in the field last year. More trials are planned for this year and next.

While it’s too soon to get really excited, initial results are promising.

“In the lab, it’s pretty good,” says Plettner. “The thing is, it has to work in a real colony. And that’s what we’re trying to establish in the field.”

Honey producers are hopeful, but acknowledge that commercializing a product created in the lab is complicated.

“I can clearly see from the field trials that there is good potential. It showed good mite drop in the trial,” says BCHPA president Heather Higo, who ran a field trial for Plettner in 2019. “The need is absolutely huge with the hiving losses that we’re having every year in BC and in other areas. We need another tool in the tool basket to fight varroa.”

The new trials will determine the best timing, the best method of application and the efficacy. The first step is mite collection and BCHPA members are supplying these. Mites are needed to seed the colonies so the numbers are high enough for testing. The compound will be applied this summer and they will measure what happens. Follow-up treatments will happen in the fall. Each of the BC trials are being mirrored at the Beaverlodge research station in Alberta, so they will end up with twice the data.

The actual field trials are only one aspect of the project going forward. Plettner is collaborating with Leonard Foster, a professor in the Michael Smith Laboratories at UBC.

“When we made progress with this acaricide, I really felt that we needed to figure out exactly what the acaricide is doing inside the mite and why it doesn’t really affect the bees too much at all,” she says. “That’s when I approached Dr. Foster.”

Foster will apply proteomics tools to identify the molecular target and determine when and where the compound can be applied. Information about the new compound’s target site in mites is vital for registration with health authorities, the biggest hurdle to commercialization. Understanding the target site and mechanism of interaction will help the team, and end users, make future improvements to the product, its formulation, and the schedule of application.

Genome BC is contributing $250,000 through the Pilot Innovation Fund.

Paul van Westendorp, provincial apiculturist with the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food, believes the best approach is a cautious one until more is known about the compound’s effectiveness. Plettner agrees.

“It’s a slow process,” she says. “It takes a couple of years to get it approved, even just for emergency use.”

Until such time as this compound gains approval, beekeepers will need to keep monitoring their hives and rotating the existing treatment options. Beekeepers are also encouraged to report their mite numbers for the period April 30 to May 15 and August 13-28, as part of the biannual North American Mite-A-Thon [www.mitecheck.com].

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