Despite a greater number of applicants this year, the BC Milk Marketing Board has accepted just three new producers as part of this year’s New Entrant Program.
Deirdre and James Howard and Brent and Cheryl Posthumus were selected from five candidates who attended interviews in July. A total of 10 candidates were originally selected via a random draw in February from a total of 33 applicants.
Kiana Newton was selected via the organic stream of the program, one of two candidates who attended interviews out of a total of five applicants.
“Every candidate was asked questions that allowed the committee to conduct an evaluation of their skills and assessed their abilities for successful long-term on-farm operations and financial/policy administration,” BC Milk said in a July 28 announcement of the successful candidates.
The successful candidates were required to confirm their intention to move forward under the program by August 4. Organic producers have three years to begin production, while regular NEP candidates are required to begin production by December 31, 2027.
BC Milk originally intended to select a minimum of three new entrants as part of the regular NEP process, with organic candidates subject to eligibility and industry need.
The marketing board intends to improve the appeal of the program to new entrants, but BC Dairy Association chair Casey Pruim acknowledges that the challenges can be daunting.
“The past several years have been challenging for agriculture, with producers facing floods, drought, wildfires and ongoing trade uncertainty,” he says. “Given those realities, it’s understandable that some prospective entrants may take a cautious approach when considering a new farming operation.”
The BC milk industry is working to boost production in advance of the P500 plant opening in Abbotsford in the first quarter of 2028.
The industry aims to add 100 million litres of production in the year prior to opening, then 200 million in the second year. It anticipates a 2% increase to quota in July and October 2027, with regular incentive days planned thereafter.
However, ongoing profitability challenges in the sector – some of which are now playing out through the courts — have coincided with a drop in NEP applications in the past three years.
In 2023, 50 applications were received for both organic and conventional streams, down from 95 in 2020. Since 2024, applications to both streams have been less than 40 annually.
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