• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Country Life In BC Logo

The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915

  • Headlines
  • Calendar
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • About
  • Archives
  • Contact
  • Search
  • Headlines
  • Calendar
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • About
  • Archives
  • Contact
  • Search

Primary Sidebar

Originally published:

October 2018
Vol. 104 Issue 10

Subscribe Now!

Sign up for free weekly FARM NEWS UPDATES

Select list(s) to subscribe to


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Country Life in BC, 36 Dale Road, Enderby, BC, V0E1V4. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
Your information will not be
shared or sold ever

Stories In This Edition

Sheep thrills

Farm employers on edge

Right-to-farm case upheld

Snow puts the brakes on Peace grain harvest

Editorial: The hands that feed us

Back Forty: Saving farmland fruitless without water

Op Ed: US could learn a thing (or two) from Canada

Piece-rate study sets stage for payday changes

Photo: Day at the Farm

Berry growers report decent growing season

FIRB posed to set live BC chicken prices – again

BCYAF grants support key 4-H initiatives

Cherry growers hit hardest by wildfire smoke

Ag Briefs: Winner

Ag Briefs: Right to Farm Act review cancelled

Local governments can’t undermine ALR rules

Winfield grower has ambitious cannabis plans

Province funds land-matching program

BC Fresh expands to meet national demand

Challenging year fails to daunt new producer

Corn trials focus on lower heat units for BC

When the right thing turns out to be wrong

Wildfires prompt local response planning

Mixer-feeder offers all-in-one feeding option

Non-traditional forage mixtures promising

Small farmers network targets knowledge gap

Hazelnut renewal enters second phase

Research: Scratch that itch

Partners announced for farmers’ market trail

FV land limitations means higher density

Fair lives up to its farm roots

Pumpkin growers use crop to reach out to public

Wannabe Farmer: The usual gives plenty of cause for thanks

Woodshed: Wishful thinking as Caribbean holiday nears

Jude’s Kitchen: Fall heralds heartier meals, yummy appies

 

More Headlines

Follow us on Facebook

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

1 day ago

A turkey farm in West Abbotsford is the second commercial poultry flock to tested positive for avian influenza since the initial case was reported in Enderby on April 13. CFIA announced the case May 19, but has yet to define the control zone. Ray Nickel of the BC Poultry Association says more than 50 farms are in the vicinity of the infected premises, meaning control measures — including movement controls — will have a significant impact on the industry. The supply of birds moving into the country from US hatcheries will also be affected, compounding the host of supply chain issues growers have been dealing with over the past year. A story in our June issue will provide further details. ... See MoreSee Less

A turkey farm in West Abbotsford is the second commercial poultry flock to tested positive for avian influenza since the initial case was reported in Enderby on April 13. CFIA announced the case May 19, but has yet to define the control zone. Ray Nickel of the BC Poultry Association says more than 50 farms are in the vicinity of the infected premises, meaning control measures — including movement controls — will have a significant impact on the industry. The supply of birds moving into the country from US hatcheries will also be affected, compounding the host of supply chain issues growers have been dealing with over the past year. A story in our June issue will provide further details.
View Comments
  • Likes: 0
  • Shares: 2
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

2 weeks ago

The province has extended the order requiring regulated commercial poultry operations to keep their birds indoors through June 13. Originally set to expire this Friday, the order was extended after a careful review by the province's deputy chief veterinarian. Poultry at seven premises, all but one of them backyard flocks, have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza since April 13. The order allows small-scale producers to continue pasturing their birds outdoors provided biosecurity protocols developed by the Small-Scale Meat producers Association are followed. ... See MoreSee Less

The province has extended the order requiring regulated commercial poultry operations to keep their birds indoors through June 13. Originally set to expire this Friday, the order was extended after a careful review by the provinces deputy chief veterinarian. Poultry at seven premises, all but one of them backyard flocks, have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza since April 13. The order allows small-scale producers to continue pasturing their birds outdoors provided biosecurity protocols developed by the Small-Scale Meat producers Association are followed.
View Comments
  • Likes: 6
  • Shares: 9
  • Comments: 2

Comment on Facebook

Sounds like 2 weeks to flatten the curve turning into 2 years.

USDA doing avian vax research, May 11 bio-docs to UN incl section on H5N8 w/wild bird spread. Found link to apparent pre-release on May 11 Geller Report. Good luck farmers.

2 weeks ago

Two more small flocks in BC have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. The latest cases are in Richmond and Kelowna. CFIA is in the process of determining a control zone around the property in Richmond, the first report in the Fraser Valley of the H5N1 strain of the virus among poultry. Speaking to Country Life in BC this week, federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said CFIA staff are working diligently to address outbreaks, and she encourages small flock owners to do the same. While commercial farms have tightened biosecurity measures, owners of small flocks have greater freedom. “Some smaller ones don’t necessarily have these measures in place,” Bibeau says. “They should also be extremely careful, because if we have a case in a backyard flock ... it could have an impact on bigger commercial installations.” ... See MoreSee Less

Two more small flocks in BC have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. The latest cases are in Richmond and Kelowna. CFIA is in the process of determining a control zone around the property in Richmond, the first report in the Fraser Valley of the H5N1 strain of the virus among poultry. Speaking to Country Life in BC this week, federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said CFIA staff are working diligently to address outbreaks, and she encourages small flock owners to do the same. While commercial farms have tightened biosecurity measures, owners of small flocks have greater freedom. “Some smaller ones don’t necessarily have these measures in place,” Bibeau says. “They should also be extremely careful, because if we have a case in a backyard flock ... it could have an impact on bigger commercial installations.”
View Comments
  • Likes: 4
  • Shares: 38
  • Comments: 3

Comment on Facebook

Killing our food chain. How do we know they are actually carrying a virus, look what's taking place with covid, is it real.

Ik kan niet zo goed Engels maar als ik het goed begrijp is bij jullie ook vogelgriep maar nog niet bij jullie

Any idea when this episode or bird flu might be over?

3 weeks ago

Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC welcomed its first new members in 20 years at its AGM on April 27. The BC Blueberry Council, BC Cherry Association, BC Cranberry Marketing Commission, BC Food & Beverage Association, BC Meats and Organic BC were approved as members, bringing the IAFBC’s membership to 15 farm and food organizations. IAFBC is also growing in responsibility, managing a record $8.3 million in funding from six funding agencies and developing new programs to support the agriculture sector including Farmland Advantage and Agricultural Climate Solutions. ... See MoreSee Less

Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC welcomed its first new members in 20 years at its AGM on April 27. The BC Blueberry Council, BC Cherry Association, BC Cranberry Marketing Commission, BC Food & Beverage Association, BC Meats and Organic BC were approved as members, bringing the IAFBC’s membership to 15 farm and food organizations. IAFBC is also growing in responsibility, managing a record $8.3 million in funding from six funding agencies and developing new programs to support the agriculture sector including Farmland Advantage and Agricultural Climate Solutions.
View Comments
  • Likes: 3
  • Shares: 0
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

4 weeks ago

A second BC flock has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the province reported this evening, April 25. The small backyard flock of chicken and ducks near Kelowna has fewer than 100 birds and is relatively isolated. This is the second backyard flock to be suspected of high-path avian influenza in the past week. The other, on Vancouver Island, was found to be AI-free. Amanda Brittain, chief information officer with the BC Poultry Association’s emergency operations centre, says the latest case is of minimal concern to industry because there are no commercial flocks within 12km of the premises. ... See MoreSee Less

A second BC flock has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the province reported this evening, April 25. The small backyard flock of chicken and ducks near Kelowna has fewer than 100 birds and is relatively isolated. This is the second backyard flock to be suspected of high-path avian influenza in the past week. The other, on Vancouver Island, was found to be AI-free. Amanda Brittain, chief information officer with the BC Poultry Association’s emergency operations centre, says the latest case is of minimal concern to industry because there are no commercial flocks within 12km of the premises.
View Comments
  • Likes: 6
  • Shares: 15
  • Comments: 1

Comment on Facebook

drive.google.com/file/d/1F7SC3xgs4YD-cgK3eoZemHaTdYe3cUj6/view?usp=sharing

Subscribe | Advertise

Farm employers on edge

Changes to foreign worker program creating uncertainty

October 2, 2018 byPeter Mitham

ABBOTSFORD – Another round of changes to the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program has farm employers on edge after the hassles of obtaining workers for the 2018 season.

Come 2019, workers from Mexico will have to provide biometric identification prior to arrival while employers face new housing standards against a backdrop of an ongoing review of the standards themselves.

The concern was palpable at an all-day workshop the BC Agriculture Council organized in Abbotsford on September 21 to help growers understand what lies ahead. Biometrics and housing dominated the concerns expressed by the approximately 50 growers and 30 government and farm sector representatives in the room.

“God help us with the biometrics,” quipped Hugo Velázquez Vázquez, co-ordinator of the SAWP program at Mexico’s consulate in Vancouver, towards the end of the day, having previously congratulated growers on surviving a season that saw 5,777 workers from Mexico arrive in BC despite processing delays that left many applications unfilled.

Alarm bells regarding Canada’s plans to collect biometric data have been going off since July, when growers were still grappling with the lack of workers needed for this year’s harvest.

Approximately 24,000 workers will have to be processed and the information is good for 10 years. While a commitment exists to ensure a processing capacity of 1,000 people a week, up from an original estimate of 250, the work will still take nearly half a year. It will also mean a second trip to Mexico City for participants, which could cost them hundreds of dollars. There’s a fear some workers may say it’s not worth the expense.

However, workers approved for SAWP by December 31 won’t have to provide biometric data, so long as they arrive within six months of approval.

Service Canada began accepting applications on August 10. BCAC advises growers to submit completed applications by November 7. Growers have been told it could take six months from application to a worker’s arrival. Approximately eight applications had been received as of last month’s meeting, and at least one grower had already received an approval. Once an application arrives in Mexico, it can take 144 days before a worker lands in Canada.

Mexico is a particular problem because of systemic issues related to how applications are processed. A worker’s name may be typed five times prior to arriving in Canada, for example, because Canada’s confidentiality protocols require documents to be faxed or snail-mailed rather than submitted electronically. Re-typing increases the risk of misspellings and delays.

This isn’t the case with workers from Jamaica, which has collected biometric data since 2013 and after an initial hiccup has eliminated delays. Processing now takes about two months. Jamaica sent nearly 1,400 workers to BC this year, and the number is growing.

Under the table

Reports this summer that an increasing number of foreign nationals with tourist visas were working on BC farms for cash is heightening concerns regarding access to foreign workers. BCAC could not give examples, but it issued a stern warning to members that such practices could jeopardize existing labour programs, including the agriculture stream of the temporary foreign worker (TFW) program as well as work provisions of visas for youth exchange participants.

Those programs are already coming under provincial scrutiny. The province has announced plans to establish a registry of foreign workers as part of a $3 million overhaul of how employment standards are managed and enforced.

BC labour minister Harry Bains was not available for interviews, but ministry staff confirmed that SAWP workers would be included in the registry. The registry will facilitate government audits of workplaces where employees may be ignorant of their rights or subject to abuse.

“The goal is to strengthen protections for these vulnerable workers,” Bains’ staff told Country Life in BC.

Mexico removed 260 workers over safety and rights violations last year, and at least 125 this year. The latest incident regarded a farm that was paying workers a piece rate rather than the hourly wage stipulated by the program.

Glen Lucas, assistant general manager of the BCAC-owned Western Agriculture Labour Initiative, says any registry should incorporate the one that exists for SAWP workers. Rather than duplicating SAWP’s registry, BCAC would like to see government channel agriculture’s portion of the new registry’s costs into SAWP education, such as last month’s workshop.

A key area for education is bullying and harassment.

Consular staff have been asking to see farms’ bullying and harassment policies in personnel manuals, something required since 2013 but seldom requested prior to 2018. Vázquez said it would be a key priority in 2019, as housing issues are resolved and harassment becomes responsible for a greater proportion of worker removals.

Paul Bergin, a prevention officer with WorkSafeBC, told growers a bullying and harassment policy must be part of staff manuals. This must be in the workers’ language, and signed along with the employment contract. However, agriculture accounts for a small fraction of the 1,100 complaints WorkSafeBC has investigated over the past five years.

Housing standards continue to evolve and a new standard isn’t likely to be ready until sometime in 2019. However, growers’ primary concern last month was with the furnishings required, from mattress types to appliances.

Growers were reminded that housing must be exclusively for workers and be equipped with a stationary stovetop or standard range and oven, as well as washing machines and dryers.

A fire safety plan is also a must.

A fire in Abbotsford this spring that displaced dozens of foreign workers was a wake-up call. Vázquez told growers that if someone dies in a blaze and appropriate fire detection and suppression systems weren’t in place, it could jeopardize SAWP altogether.

BCAC is working with the provincial fire commissionaire to develop a uniform standard for worker housing, as standards currently vary by municipality.

 

 

Related Posts

You may be interested in these posts from the same category.

Province defrays COVID-19 costs

Rules for young workers

Fruit growers seek workers

BCAC shifts to advocacy

BC minimum wage increases

Flight ban strands workers

Don Dahr

Farm injury rate falls

Foreign worker vaccination prioritized

Growers anxious about labour

New year, new openness

SAWP requirements waived

Ottawa announces new rules for foreign workers

Previous Post: « FIRB poised to set live BC chicken prices – again
Next Post: Cherry growers hit hardest by wildfire smoke »

Reader Interactions

Copyright © 2022 Country Life in BC · All Rights Reserved