Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will be the focal point of the next agricultural policy framework when the five-year Canadian Agricultural Partnership ends in 2023. Provincial and territorial ministers met with their federal counterpart Marie-Claude Bibeau this week to check in prior to the annual in-person conference scheduled for Saskatoon in July. Bibeau told Country Life …
NEWS
Weevil monitoring begins
A cool spring has meant a slow start to the growing season, but it’s never too early to be on the lookout for pests. Strawberry blossom weevil is a case in point, according to presentations at the growers’ short course during the Pacific Agriculture Show this year. Originally identified in Abbotsford in a backyard raspberry …
Tree fruit growers struggle to source plants
KELOWNA – Weather challenges and growing demand over the past two years mean some tender fruit growers are struggling to secure new trees for their orchards. “My son and I attempted to source some peach trees for next spring and the spring two years from now and there’s absolutely nothing. So, we tried to find …
Second high-path AI case
A backyard flock near Kelowna is the latest to test positive for avian influenza, putting small-flock owners on high alert for this year’s highly pathogenic strain. A bulletin from the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food on the evening of April 25 announced the positive result, which occurred in a flock of fewer than 100 …
Province seeks dangerous jobs
A new public engagement process hopes to identify jobs too dangerous for young workers. “Stakeholders and the public can review and comment on a proposed framework that outlines the types of jobs that could be defined as hazardous and unsuitable for young workers,” the BC Ministry of Labour says in a statement announcing the survey, …
Fruit tree protocols reviewed
While many orchardists in BC find it tough to source clean plant material to renew and expand their orchards, nurseries in Canada export a significant number of fruit and nut trees to orchardists in the US. To ensure stock remains clean, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has spent the past few weeks soliciting feedback regarding …