Ministers discuss avian influenza

The appointment last week of rookie Abbotsford-Mission MLA Pam Alexis as agriculture minister came amid a deepening outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in her home region of the Fraser Valley.

The disease didn’t merit a reference in Alexis’ mandate letter from the premier but it was one of the first orders of business she discussed with her federal counterpart Marie-Claude Bibeau.

While a few weeks typically pass before provincial and federal ministers chat, the two have already discussed an outbreak that has infected 56 commercial farms in BC since mid-November and impacted more than 1.3 million birds.

The rapid spread of the disease in recent weeks has been blunted by strong industry-led biosecurity protocols and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has so far held off escalating current measures.

However, various sources are indicating a review of practices may be in the offing to better limit the spread of the disease in a region that has the highest concentration of poultry farms in the country.

Testing has so far failed to indicate farm-to-farm transmission, indicating the biosecurity protocols are working.

However, small-lot growers have not reported a single case since November 14. Prior to this date, they represented the majority of cases.

Neither industry nor CFIA representatives have been able to explain the shift in infections. However, all growers are encouraged to maintain existing biosecurity protocols to protect their flocks against infection.

All content on this website is copyrighted, and cannot be republished or reproduced without permission.

3 days ago

More than $30,000 was raised for the BC Youth in Agriculture Foundation at the annual Evening for Agriculture Celebration at the PNE, September 3. Guests could appreciate how their donations -- and the event itself -- supports agriculture when they saw the presentations of funds from the 2025 event to scholarship recipients, 4-H programs and BC Agriculture in the Classroom. Al DeJong of Maple Ridge was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award for his decades of service to 4-H and -- by extension -- to the PNE's 4-H activities. DeJong has been involved with llamas in the 4-H community since the early 9#BCAg#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

View Comments

Likes: 8
Shares: 0
Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

5 days ago

... See MoreSee Less

Likes: 3
Shares: 0
Comments: 0

Forty-six regions in BC are eligible to participate in the federal livestock tax deferral program, announced yesterday, more than anywhere else in the country. The program allows producers who downsize their breeding herds by 15% to defer reporting the proceeds until the following year, when they buy replacement stock. But after multiple years of drought, the BC beef herd is cruising 25-year lows and some producers are calling for more support to maintain and rebuild their herds. For more, see: [www.countrylifeinbc.com/bc-leads-livestock-tax-deferrals/]

#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

Likes: 25
Shares: 9
Comments: 0

1 week ago

After weeks and weeks of no moisture, there's rain in Kelowna today. While much more moisture is needed over the coming weeks and months to reduce drought conditions and the air smells of wet campfire, the slow, steady rain is very welcome for fruit grower#BCAg#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

Likes: 7
Shares: 0
Comments: 0

The first Delta Farmland and Wildlife Trust Grassland Set-aside Variety Trial Field Day was held at Delta's family-owned Tecarte Farms, August 27. Co-owner Bill Bates and DFWT executive director Christine Schmalz welcomed more than 35 people to view seven acres planted to different grassland blends specifically chosen to rejuvenate the soil and support the farm's blueberries. For the Bates family, it was time to try something different following the decline of the field's blueberry bushes over the past several years. "We tried everything, and nothing worked," says Bates. The blueberries were removed in May and the grassland crops planted about a week later.

#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less