Growers will meet in Kelowna on April 12 for another round of discussion to consider the apple marketing commission proposed as a successor organization to the New Tree Fruit Varieties Development Council, which will wind up operations at the end of March 2023. While most of the feedback received from growers to date has been …
CROPS
Raspberry replant funding boost
The province has committed an additional $300,000 to extend the raspberry replant program for a third year. “The new investment in this program will help more BC growers replant their fields with varieties that will support their businesses,” BC Agriculture Minister Lana Popham says. Originally launched in late 2020, the initiative has received close to …
Broader tolerance for culls
Potatoes will be included in the next phase of a federal review of grading standards for fresh fruits and vegetables, and industry representatives at the Canadian Spud Congress this week think consumers are willing to be a bit more forgiving of imperfections. “There’s a lot more acceptance for whatever the farmer grows when you’re in …
Ottawa funds beneficial practices
Beneficial management practices were the big winner in the week’s funding announcements by government. The same day as Victoria announced $15 million over three years to assist farmers embrace green agriculture practices, Ottawa announced a grant of $8 million through the $200-million On-Farm Climate Action Fund, part of the larger Agricultural Climate Solutions initiative. The …
CanadaGAP expands options
Many small fruit and vegetable producers say CanadaGAP requirements are complex and onerous. While the major grocers require that suppliers participate in the national food safety certification program, many growers are opting out. Program participation fell for the first time since inception last year, with BC – home to the largest proportion of CanadaGAP participants …
Glyphosate shortage impacts unknown
A supplier’s plant malfunction is jeopardizing Bayer CropScience’s ability to deliver glyphosate-containing products. One of Bayer’s key raw material suppliers experienced a mechanical failure that’s led to a “substantial reduction in production rates,” the company announced February 11. “Bayer’s ability to supply its customers with glyphosate or glyphosate-containing products as agreed upon in certain agreements …