Raspberry growers are receiving additional support to renew their industry. The province is making $300,000 available to support the removal of old varieties and the replanting with new varieties suitable for both the fresh and individually quick frozen (IQF) markets. Similar to recent funding for the hazelnut sector’s renewal, the funding will also support strategic …
CROPS
Japanese beetle spreads
The discovery of a small number of Japanese beetles in south Vancouver and Burnaby have prompted renewed calls for vigilance and precautions on the part of industry and the public. Since the pest’s discovery near False Creek in Vancouver in 2017, the BC Landscape and Nursery Association has been part of a coordinated response by …
BC blueberry crop down 30%
BC Blueberry Council estimates point to a 30% reduction in this year’s harvest. The council collected levies on 185 million pounds of berries last year. This year, it expects to collect levies on just 135 million pounds. “Crops are estimated to be down approximately 30% due to various factors, including the [late June] heat dome …
Province pledges emergency funding
BC has announced emergency funding to support farmers and ranchers impacted by wildfires, heat and drought this year. While the exact amount is undetermined and several details have yet to be worked out, the province has taken the immediate action of invoking the late participation provision of the AgriStability program. The original deadline was June …
COVID influences food demand
COVID continues to complicate efforts to manage supply of regulated commodities in Canada. “It’s still not easy because there’s a lot of different metrics at play,” Abbotsford producer Ray Nickel told the BC Chicken Growers Association general meeting August 4, delivering the report from the Chicken Farmers of Canada. “We haven’t seen a full opening …
Flower farm meets growing demand
ENDERBY – Operating a flower farm is a dream come true for Nadine Charlton, even if it’s not all sunshine and roses. Charlton began Blumen Fields Flower Farm on Mabel Lake Road, six minutes east of Enderby, in 2018, one year after purchasing the 54-acre property with husband Chris and her parents. The farm fulfills …