A year after the first case of COVID-19 emerged in China, the country’s customs officials announced tough new inspection rules designed to prevent the virus from returning via food shipments. On November 18, 2020, the General Administration of Customs China (GACC) requested that Canada and other trading partners revise export certificates for frozen and chilled …
NEWS
Abattoirs eye pandemic funding
VICTORIA – A sudden influx of funding from the $90 million provincial Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure Program resulted in the submission of several abattoir applications to the rural economic recovery stream in October. CERIP is providing fully funded provincial grants to support economic resilience, tourism, heritage and urban and rural economic development projects in communities …
Kamloops farmers push back on irrigation plan
KAMLOOPS – A group of irrigation water users in Kamloops received a reprieve on a city plan to undertake a $14 million system upgrade that would leave users on the hook for the bulk of that cost. Representatives of the Noble Creek Irrigation System petitioned Kamloops city council November 3 to cancel the local area …
Province rethinks land matching pitch
VICTORIA – To increase landowner participation in the BC Land Matching Program administered by Young Agrarians, the BC Ministry of Agriculture is drawing on behavioural insights to nudge landowners into leasing their unused farmland to new farmers. Behavioural scientist Christine Kormos presented details and results of the project at the BIG Difference BC online conference …
Passion and schooling pay off for young grower
KRESTOVA – Matthew Carr’s first memory of a job in agriculture is working alongside his grandmother processing poultry on her farm near Krestova, a community of about 200 at the mouth of the Slocan Valley. Carr was about 10. He gave up soccer to pull gizzards for 10 cents apiece. “I now finally figured out …
4-H members finish season at virtual Ag Expo
BARRIERE – The 4-H community continued to demonstrate its resiliency with a much different show and sale at the BC Ag Expo in Barriere, September 25-28. With pandemic restrictions still in place, organizers put together a virtual show and sale for 4-H and open youth. “When we made our decision to go virtually, we really …