Sales of farm properties in BC rose 57% in 2018, according to the latest property transfer data from the BC Ministry of Finance. The full-year figures, released at the end of January, show that 1,547 farm properties changed hands in 2018, up from 987 in 2017. Sales activity was steady throughout the year, with between …
Hospital procurement program coming
A new program set to debut in the Okanagan will be a step towards fulfilling the Feed BC plank of the mandate Premier John Horgan gave BC agriculture minister Lana Popham in 2016. Announcement of the initiative was set to occur at Penticton Regional Hospital this week, but was delayed by a landslide across Highway …
Tax relief for livestock producers
Ottawa has approved 79 census subdivisions in BC for relief under the livestock tax deferral program. Producers in seven provinces are eligible for the relief, but Western producers will be key beneficiaries. The designated locations in BC include all of Vancouver Island and the BC coast north from Point Tsawwassen to Haida Gwaii and Stewart, …
Province releases waste control regulation
The province has released its long-awaited Agriculture Waste Control Regulation, and growers across the province expect it will add to the cost of farming in BC. The new regulation updates the previous rule, which has been in effect since 1992. The requirements will take immediate effect in the Hullcar Valley, and expand across the province …
Blueberry growers told to buckle up
Blueberry growers across North America face significant headwinds, according to a key speaker at the Pacific Agriculture Show in Abbotsford on January 26. “I can’t make the numbers work to give you a bright future,” said John Shelford, an observer of industry trends and strategic advisor to Naturipe Farms LLC. The comment reflected number-crunching that …
Strong attendance at Pacific Agriculture Show, CannaTech West
Steady traffic made this year’s Pacific Agriculture Show at Tradex in Abbotsford another success, despite some speakers being unable to attend due to the US government shutdown. Attendance totalled 9,550, said show coordinator Jim Shepard. This was up from last year and near the record-breaking tally of 2016, when approximately 9,800 visitors attended. The number …