The province is backtracking on its pledge to support mink farmers, whose operations are being shut down as part of the province’s fight against COVID-19 and following lobbying by anti-fur activists. The province has long said the nine operations affected will receive no compensation for business losses associated with the closure of their operations. However, …
Government funding under discussion
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will be the focal point of the next agricultural policy framework when the five-year Canadian Agricultural Partnership ends in 2023. Provincial and territorial ministers met with their federal counterpart Marie-Claude Bibeau this week to check in prior to the annual in-person conference scheduled for Saskatoon in July. Bibeau told Country Life …
Weevil monitoring begins
A cool spring has meant a slow start to the growing season, but it’s never too early to be on the lookout for pests. Strawberry blossom weevil is a case in point, according to presentations at the growers’ short course during the Pacific Agriculture Show this year. Originally identified in Abbotsford in a backyard raspberry …
Tree fruit growers struggle to source plants
KELOWNA – Weather challenges and growing demand over the past two years mean some tender fruit growers are struggling to secure new trees for their orchards. “My son and I attempted to source some peach trees for next spring and the spring two years from now and there’s absolutely nothing. So, we tried to find …
Second high-path AI case
A backyard flock near Kelowna is the latest to test positive for avian influenza, putting small-flock owners on high alert for this year’s highly pathogenic strain. A bulletin from the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food on the evening of April 25 announced the positive result, which occurred in a flock of fewer than 100 …
Province seeks dangerous jobs
A new public engagement process hopes to identify jobs too dangerous for young workers. “Stakeholders and the public can review and comment on a proposed framework that outlines the types of jobs that could be defined as hazardous and unsuitable for young workers,” the BC Ministry of Labour says in a statement announcing the survey, …