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JUNE 2025
Vol. 111 Issue 5

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2 days ago

BC Cattlemen’s Association members gathered in Cranbrook for their 97th AGM last week. BCCA president Werner Stump welcomed upwards of 300 ranchers as he signalled a change in tone with the association’s approach to government. “We are going to be a lot more blunt in our dealings with government as we fight for our livelihood,” Stump told his audience. The North American herd size remains down, and calf prices are expected to stay strong, says Brenna Grant from Canfax. “We could see $5.50 -$5.70 this fall for a 5(00) weight calves.” Duncan and Jane Barnett and family from Barnett Land and Livestock in 150 Mile House received the Ranch Sustainability Award, which recognized their riparian management and community involvement. From left to right, Clayton Loewen with Jane, Duncan and Lindsay Barnett.

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BC Cattlemen’s Association members gathered in Cranbrook for their 97th AGM last week. BCCA president Werner Stump welcomed upwards of 300 ranchers as he signalled a change in tone with the association’s approach to government. “We are going to be a lot more blunt in our dealings with government as we fight for our livelihood,” Stump told his audience. The North American herd size remains down, and calf prices are expected to stay strong, says Brenna Grant from Canfax. “We could see $5.50 -$5.70 this fall for a 5(00) weight calves.” Duncan and Jane Barnett and family from Barnett Land and Livestock in 150 Mile House received the Ranch Sustainability Award, which recognized their riparian management and community involvement. From left to right, Clayton Loewen with Jane, Duncan and Lindsay Barnett.

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Congratulations!!!

Congratulations!

Congratulations

Congratulations <3

Congratulations to Duncan, Jane, and all the rest of the Barnett family!

Congratulations Jane and Ducan! Sandra Andresen Hawkins

Congratulation Duncan & Jane!!

Congratulations Jane & Duncan 🥳

Congratulations Jane Trott Barnett and Duncan!!!

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3 days ago

Grapegrower Colleen Ingram, who was recognized earlier this year as the 2024 Grower of the Year by the BC Grapegrowers Association. “Given the devastation we have had over the last three years, I feel like this award should be given to the entire industry,” she says. Her story appears in the June edition of Country Life in BC, and we've also posted to our website.

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Industry champion named BC’s best grape grower

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KELOWNA – Colleen Ingram’s enthusiasm for collaboration within the BC wine industry is so great that when she was named 2024 Grower of the Year by the BC Grapegrowers Association, she wanted to sh...
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1 month ago

From orchard manager to government specialist and now executive director of the BC Fruit Growers Association, Adrian Arts brings a rare blend of hands-on farming experience and organizational leadership to an industry poised for renewal. His appointment comes at a pivotal moment for BC fruit growers, with Arts expressing enthusiasm about continuing the momentum built by his predecessor and working alongside a board that signals a generational shift in agricultural advocacy.

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Arts leads BCFGA forward

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A combination of organizational management and practical farming experience has primed the new executive director of the BC Fruit Growers Association to lead the industry forward.
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1 month ago

A public consultation is now underway on the powers and duties of the BC Milk Marketing Board. Key issues for dairy producers include transportation costs, rules governing shipments and limitations on supporting processing initiatives. Stakeholders have until May 31 to comment.

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Milk board undertakes review

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A public consultation on the powers and duties of the BC Milk Marketing Board is underway as part of a triennial review required by the British Columbia Milk Marketing Board Regulation.
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1 month ago

BC wool shipments drop sharply in 2023, according to StatsCan data released in mid-April. Local producers shipped just 5,200kg at 37¢/kg, down from 18,600kg at $1.08/kg in 2022. While many farmers now use wool on-farm or dispose of it due to low market value, innovative producers like Emily McIvor point to untapped opportunities. Read more in our Farm News Update from Country Life in BC.

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BC wool value, volume drop

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BC sheep producers shipped less wool for less in 2023, reversing strong growth a year earlier. BC producers shipped 5,200 kilograms of raw wool in 2023, according to Statistics Canada data released on...
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Dairy meetings highlight costs

Holger Schwichtenberg will now serve an additional four years on the Agricultural Land Commission through March 12, 2029. File photo | Ronda Payne

November 30, 2022 byPeter Mitham

BC dairy producers met for business meetings and networking last week, but producer income loomed large on the minds of many.

Price hikes have failed to keep up with rising production costs. Several producers remarked that they’re always two years behind current circumstances.

During the open discussion that followed the annual general meetings of the province’s three dairy organizations on November 22 — held online to facilitate attendance from across the province — the leading question asked what was being done to improve producer income.

BC Dairy Association chair Holger Schwichtenberg said there was no easy answer to the problem, which isn’t unique to BC.

“It is more of a national question than a BCDA or BC Milk [Marketing Board] one,” he said. “We are looking at ways, but that is not solved overnight.”

It’s also an international problem.

Speaking at the BC Dairy Industry Conference on November 24, Christophe LaFougère, who oversees international consulting and market research firm Gira Food’s dairy practice, said Europe’s dairy producers derive their margins from cull cows even with milk prices rising.

“If you take out the meat, you’ve got no margin anymore. So even with such a high price at the moment we still have a problem with margin,” he said.

The problem won’t be going away any time soon as fuel, fertilizer and feed costs remain high, the latter being affected by Russia’s war in Ukraine and climate-related issues.

“The problem we’ve got is that milk will be more expensive, but milk will be more expensive to produce,” he said.

Two key initiatives that could help address BC producer income are greater dairy processing capacity in Western Canada, with a feasibility study underway for a co-pack facility in the region, and the planned Dairy Innovation West plant in Alberta, which will reduce milk transportation costs.

The feasibility study for the co-pack facility, undertaken by KPMG in partnership with the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food, is expected in early 2023.

Dairy Innovation West, in which BC Dairy holds a 35% stake, was announced in November 2019. The project’s application for financing from Farm Credit Canada remains in process.

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