ENDERBY – Higher costs for fertilizer and other inputs are forcing BC producers to pay closer attention to where they spend their money this year. Statistics Canada’s industrial price index pegs the price of chemical fertilizer at 225.7 in November, up from 97 a year earlier. That’s a 133% increase, with the sharpest rise happening …
CROPS
CanadaGAP participation drops
While retail sales channels demand more from producers, CanadaGAP statistics indicate more producers in BC are demanding less regulation. The food safety certification program debuted in 2008 and includes 3,000 participants from across North America’s fresh produce sector. The annual report for the program year ended August 31, released in advance of CanadaGAP’s annual general …
BC Tree Fruit sells another property
A diligent divestment strategy has seen BC Tree Fruits Cooperative sell close to $40 million in real estate since 2020. The latest deal saw the co-op sell its warehouse at 858 Ellis Street to Mission Group, a development company based in Kelowna, for $23.8 million. The sale was announced in mid-December, nearly eight months after …
Grape growers assess damage
Grape growers are assessing damage from a late December cold snap that hit the central and northern Okanagan Valley. “Winter temperatures in the hills surrounding Kelowna and areas to the north dipped below -27°C over the Christmas holidays,” Brad Estergaard, viticulture research technician at the Summerland Research and Development Centre told growers in a special …
BC Veg consultation ends
This week marks the end of a consultation regarding the appointment of independent members to the BC Vegetable Marketing Commission as part of a broader review of governance. The deadline for submitting written feedback as part of initial input on new rules for the election of members and independent appointees is January 13. The review …
Kootenay growers target winter deliveries
CASTLEGAR – With about eight weeks before their inaugural season of weekly produce box deliveries was complete, Skattebo Acres owners Mira Fahrenbruch and Matt McClelland decided to take on a new challenge by launching weekly winter boxes. But space was a bit of an issue. “You can’t just till another 100-foot bed,” says Fahrenbruch. To …