CRANBROOK – North America’s cattle markets are largely explained by simple supply and demand. When there are lots of cattle available, ranchers receive lower prices. When the herd size is smaller, prices trend higher as the market competes for a lower number of animals. This cycle repeats every 10 to 12 years in the cattle …
Crown land conflicts reveal policy gaps
DAWSON CREEK – Recent investigations are calling for more oversight over range use practices surrounding First Nations cultural sites and the spread of invasive plants. However, some in BC’s ranching sector argue that these problems are symptoms of a deeper issue: successive provincial governments putting ranching on the back burner when it comes to policy …
Red biosecurity remains for poultry
The province’s chief vet has lifted an order requiring regulated poultry producers to keep their birds indoors, but biosecurity remains critical due to ongoing threats. The order was lifted June 17, six months after chief veterinary officer Dr. Theresa Burns signed the order to address the threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) during the …
BC distanced from TB concerns
BC dairy producers have little to worry about following the discovery of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in a Manitoba herd earlier this month. “There is no threat to dairy herds in British Columbia,” Dylan Kruger, public affairs director with the BC Dairy Association told Country Life in BC on June 16. While the industry is monitoring …
SFU berry research moves forward
A team led by Simon Fraser University plant genomics researcher Jim Mattsson is taking its research on greenhouse grown berries to the next level with a $5 million grant from the Weston Family Foundation. The grant will support the scaling up of a production system fine-tuned during a previous phase of the Homegrown Innovation Challenge, …
Apple growers vote on marketing commission
BC apple growers will soon vote whether or not to establish an apple marketing commission, following a public consultation this spring led by Inner Harbour Consulting Inc. “A recent survey of apple producers, conducted from March 15 to April 4, 2025, indicated support for such a commission,” a May 28 memo to growers from Inner …