A shift to online sales among BC food producers has led to the rapid exhaustion of the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC’s latest grant program. IAFBC began receiving applications last week for up to $5,000 in grants from a $300,000 pool of funds the province had allocated under the Buy BC program to assist BC …
NEWS
Flood buyout bypasses farmers
May is the month when Grand Forks residents watch the Granby and Kettle rivers for signs of flooding. This year, local snowpacks were 119% of normal May 1, above the provincial average of 106% but well below the levels that triggered extensive flooding in 2018. Recent cool temperatures mean the snow pack remains stable but …
Industry mourns abattoir champion
A young champion for more meat processing capacity in the Southern Interior has died. Chad Maarhuis of Magnum Meats in Rock Creek collapsed May 10 following a business trip to Calgary. He was 37. A graduate of the meat-cutting course at Thompson Rivers University, Maarhuis purchased Magnum Meats with his wife Erika in 2008. It …
Province boosts online funding
The province has announced an additional $300,000 through the Buy BC program to help producers take sales online. The new funding, administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC, will “support industry-led Buy BC e-commerce activities” by providing up to $5,000 to successful applicants. The intake period will be just two weeks, from May 15 …
Cattle industry seeks cash
There was some hope for the BC cattle industry in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announcement on May 5 of $252 million to support agriculture and food processing. Almost half the funds, $125 million, are earmarked for AgriRecovery initiatives to support producers facing additional costs as a result of COVID-19. The funds include $50 million for …
Federal assistance falls short
Business continuity was a high priority for farm leaders when COVID-19 first disrupted access to markets and labour. Working capital, tax deferral programs and reductions in red tape were among the options that Reg Ens, executive director of the BC Agriculture Council, put forward. “Those are the kinds of things we’re thinking of right now …