Produce drives BC exports

Canada’s ambitions of achieving $75 billion in agri-food exports by 2025 were set back by COVID-19, but the prospects remain bright as Marie-Claude Bibeau once more takes the reins of the department following September’s election.

Farm Credit Canada released its annual review of trade shortly before Bibeau was sworn into cabinet this week, highlighting Canada’s rank as the world’s 11th largest food exporter.

“Compared to ag’s overall contraction of 9%, total food exports weren’t as badly hit by COVID slowdowns, declining 3.7%,” states the report authored by economic editor Martha Roberts. “Nonetheless, growth in total food exports over the last 10 years has been sluggish.”

The top drivers of exports were meat and beverages, which together accounted for 26% of total food exports over the past decade. The two categories saw average annual growth of just over 1% during the past decade

But in BC, the horticulture sector drives exports. Peppers, mushrooms and berries are among the top sectors, with peppers and mushrooms posting strong growth last year. According to federal trade statistics, exports of peppers approached $676 million last year, up from $583 million in 2019, while mushroom exports increased to $347 million from $303 million over the same period.

Blueberries, cranberries and related species saw exports decline to $180 million from $207 million the previous year.

Demand from the US and currency fluctuations are key factors in the value of these exports. Peppers and mushrooms are shipped as far south as California, while the BC and Washington blueberry industries enjoy close enough ties that a report earlier this year suggest they essentially function as a single sector.

“The importance of Canada’s trade with the US can barely be overstated, and the CAD-USD is a key driver of our global competitiveness,” says Roberts. “Looking ahead to 2022, we expect higher energy prices to support the Canadian dollar and keep it slightly above its current value of US$0.80 for the rest of 2021.”

1 month ago

It’s been four years since the last tulip festival was held in Abbotsford, but this year’s event promises to be an even bigger spectacle than ever. Spanning 27 acres along Marion Road, Lakeland Flowers will display more than 70 varieties of the spring blossom, including fringe tulips and double tulips, the first of six months of flower festivals hosted by the farm. Writer Sandra Tretick spoke with Lakeland Flowers owner Nick Warmerdam this spring to find out how the floods on Sumas Prairie in 2021 have had an impact on his business plan as he transitions from wholesale cut flower grower to agri-tourism. We've posted the story to our website this month. It's a good read.

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Tulip grower makes the shift to agritourism

www.countrylifeinbc.com

ABBOTSFORD – On a bright sunny day in early April, Nick Warmerdam points out his office window at No. 4 and Marion roads to a spot about half a kilometre away across the Trans-Canada Highway.

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Omg 🥹 Jared Huston let’s go pls

Farming, like any other job.. only you punch in at age 5 and never punch out 🚜 ... See MoreSee Less

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Easton Roseboom Levi Roseboom🚜

The province is allocating $15 million to be administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. for a perennial crop replant program benefitting tree fruit, hazelnut, berry and grape growers. The program aims to cover 100% of plant removal costs and 75% of replanting costs. Funds are also available for sector development. The new program replaces a suite of sector-specific replant programs and recognizes the importance of sector adaptation in the face of market, disease and weather challenges. ... See MoreSee Less

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Just a week after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials revoked the last primary control zones established in the Fraser Valley to control last fall’s outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, a new detection on April 29 at a commercial premises in Chilliwack underscored the risk of a spring wave. This is the first new detection since January 22, also in Chilliwack, and brings to 104 the number of premises affected since the current outbreak began April 13, 2022. The disease has impacted 3.7 million birds in BC over the past year. ... See MoreSee Less

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Any other details for FVN and chillTV please? radiodon11@gmail.com

The province is contributing $3.2 million for upgrades to the Barrowtown pump station in Abbotsford that was overwhelmed during the November 2021 flooding on Sumas Prairie, part of a collaborative approach to flood mitigation in the region. During a press conference at the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food offices in Abbotsford today, the province said a collaborative approach that includes First Nations is needed as Abbotsford pursues a comprehensive flood mitigation strategy due to the potential impacts on Indigenous lands. Agriculture's interests will be represented by technical teams within the agriculture ministry. ... See MoreSee Less

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I sure hope part of that money is to educate the people in charge of the pumps and drainage system! They just relayed on computers and weren’t even physically monitoring the water levels. I’ve lived in the Fraser Valley my whole life and the old guys managing that system know how to do it. The new generation just sit behind computer screens and don’t physically watch the water levels. That system works very well when you do it right. The Fraser river levels are very important. The system is designed to drain the Sumas Canal (the part that runs thru the valley) into the Fraser. When they let it get backed up it put pressure on the dyke and the weak part burst. Simple science. And yes, the dykes need to be worked on too. Abbotsford has not been maintaining properly for years.