Natalie Veles is the new executive director of the BC Turkey Marketing Board and BC Turkey Growers Association, succeeding Michel Benoit, who stepped down in April after more than 15 years as general manager. Veles comes to the board from Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC, where she served for three and a half years as …
Province to fund school meals
Public schools across BC will receive funding for student lunches through a partnership between the BC Ministry of Education and the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food. An official announcement will be made shortly, but agriculture minister Lana Popham told the BC Greenhouse Growers Association’s annual reception November 12 that the funding will support stronger …
CUSMA compensation announced
The federal government is providing $1.7 billion in compensation to supply-managed sectors for market access granted under the Canada-US-Mexico free trade agreement (CUSMA) that replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2020. Agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau made the announcement November 14 at a dairy farm in Quebec. Dairy producers will benefit the most from …
The price of peace
Remembrance Day was born in the aftermath of the First World War, a day to remember the armistice that ended four years of conflict in 1918. The conflict cost Canada dearly in terms of lives lost and shattered: 67,000 men, women and children died, and nearly 150,000 combatants were wounded. No conflict before or since …
Apple soda breaks ground in saturated market
KELOWNA – At 28, Avi Gill recognizes the need to do things differently to keep his family’s 26-year tradition of growing Okanagan apples and cherries profitable. While production improvements are on-going and have helped increase the crops’ value, Gill has turned his attention to adding value to apples, which continue to face price challenges. Born …
Replant report targets industry over orchards
KELOWNA – The future of BC’s tree fruit replant program is no clearer following an audit of the most recent iteration than it was when the province failed to renew the program 18 months ago. The only thing that seems clear is that orchard renewal is likely to be secondary to industry renewal. “We believe …