A glimpse of just how hard highly pathogenic avian influenza hit the BC poultry sector last fall is seen in Statistics Canada data related to the placement of chicks and poults. Data released last week for the period through February indicates a sharp drop in placements in October and November at the height of infections, …
NEWS
Veles continues with BC Veg
Natalie Veles has been reappointed as an independent commissioner with the BC Vegetable Marketing Commission. Veles was one of two independent commissioners appointed in early 2022 following a governance review that aimed for a more accountable and diverse board at the commission. Veles was selected alongside Craig Evans to serve following a competitive application process. …
Contracts cancelled for beekeepers
Weather is often a significant issue for beekeepers as it can have a direct impact on colony survival. But this past January’s freeze event will also have an indirect effect, killing off a major source of revenue for Interior beekeepers as well as a source of spring foraging for their bees. The freeze event January …
Triple-whammy for farm income
BC farmgate sales are set to rise 2% this year to $4.8 billion, but net cash income will drop 12% due to a 24% decline in program payments. This will push total net income even further into the red, with the sector set to losing $304.9 million this year following a loss of $221.6 million …
Domestic labour gap grows
New figures from the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council indicate a growing farm labour gap in BC. By 2030, the province’s farm sector will face a shortfall of 17,716 domestic workers, up from 16,075 this year. Of 12,655 farms surveyed by CAHRC, 42% indicate challenges finding needed workers and 29% report zero domestic workers applying …
Forecasting will improve with AI technology
ABBOTSFORD – Producers can’t control the weather, but they absolutely need the most accurate forecasts to determine the right times to plant, spray, harvest, and so on. “Farmers need confidence in the forecast to do their work,” agricultural meteorologist Andy Nadler of Peak HydroMet Solutions in Campbell River told producers attending the Lower Mainland Horticultural …