The first tulip festival in Abbotsford since 2019 promises to be bigger than ever as it kicks off a summer of floral festivities in the Fraser Valley. Spanning 27 acres along Marion Road, Lakeland Flowers will display more than 70 varieties of the spring blossom, including fringe tulips and double tulips, as well as a …
Wine industry faces losses
Winegrowers across the province welcomed bountiful yields of high-quality fruit in 2022, according to Wine Growers BC in its annual vintage report released this week, but the coming season is likely to see yields significantly below normal. An extreme cold weather event on December 21-22 saw temperatures in the province’s major wine-growing regions fall below …
Producers at a loss with elk damages
LADYSMITH – Elk continue to damage farm infrastructure and government compensation is not enough, producers say. They want long-term solutions that balance land and species protection. “The grass that should be starting to grow, getting ready for crops come June, is chewed right down to half an inch on the ground. So, they’ve devoured all …
Wage pressures increase
BC’s minimum wage will rise June 1 in step with inflation, putting further strain on farm employers already struggling with high input costs and a labour crunch. The provincial hourly minimum wage will rise 6.9% on June 1 to $16.75 an hour, making it the highest minimum wage of any province and the second-highest in …
BC’s chief veterinarian highlights key animal diseases
Dr. Theresa Burns outlined three main diseases that impact or could cause issues in BC’s livestock and poultry sectors at a Centre for Organizational Governance in Agriculture webinar this week. For the poultry sector, it’s no surprise that avian influenza is an ongoing concern. Over the last year, the province has recorded 130 detections of …
Snowpack sends mixed signals
The latest data from the BC River Forecast Centre is a mixed blessing for growers concerned about a dry start to the season. The province’s April 1 snow and water supply bulletin indicates that the provincial snow pack decreased to slightly below normal for April 1 to 88% versus 94% a month earlier. The snow …