The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has hit pause on amendments to traceability regulations under the Health of Animals Act. “The CFIA will pause any publication of the regulations until the proposed changes are more widely understood and concerns are heard and taken into consideration,” the agency announced January 10. The changes have yet to …
BC/Yukon OYF finalists announced
The finalists for the BC/Yukon Outstanding Young Farmers program have been announced, ahead of presentations at the Pacific Agriculture Show in Abbotsford on January 22. This year’s short list includes Annelise Grube-Cavers of Fresh Valley Farms in Spallumcheen, which produces pasture-raised, organic certified meat and eggs; flower grower Corne Quik of Quik’s Farm in Chilliwack; …
BC farm input costs rise
The cost of inputs on BC farms is up 36% versus pre-pandemic levels, according to data released January 14 by Statistics Canada. Data for the third quarter of 2025 point to a 39% increase in the cost of crop production driven by fertilizer prices, while livestock costs rose 33%. Yet the dramatic run-up in beef …
Lawsuits drive ranchers’ call for DRIPA’s repeal
KAMLOOPS – A raft of lawsuits is a symptom of the province’s dysfunctional reconciliation process, ranchers say, and point to the need for a reset. Exhibit A is a 10-year-old land claim the Stk’emlupsemc te Secwepemc Nation (SSN), made up of the Tk’emlúps and Skeetchestn bands, filed in BC Supreme Court in 2015 to assert …
CFIA proposes traceability updates
VANDERHOOF – Proposed amendments to the identification and traceability sections of the federal Health of Animals Regulations are receiving mixed responses from industry, who support the changes but say they come with added tagging and reporting requirements, and could compromise safety. “[The Canadian Food Inspection Agency] is moving to make traceability requirements more robust with …
Task force presents blueprint for growth
ABBOTSFORD – A sheaf of recommendations for creating a better business environment for BC producers is now in the hands of the province. The final recommendations of the Premier’s Task Force on Agriculture and Food Economy were submitted in late November and published by the province almost immediately on November 24. “They were published on …