Viticulture in the face of extreme weather was a recurring topic in sessions at the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento, California, this week, with several speakers mentioning the recent freeze events in BC. Presenters include Agriculture and Agri-food Canada scientist Ben-Min Chang, a panelist alongside researchers from Washington and California on winemaking in …
AAFC
Ukraine adds to producer pressures
The trade fallout from Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine threatens to add to the pressures producers face in what was already shaping up to be an expensive growing season. Responding to international sanctions, Russia has urged its producers to halt exports of fertilizer, which was already in short supply in Europe due to production disruptions. …
Census of Agriculture launches
Census forms have been landing in mailboxes across the country this week, and for farmers, that means the Census of Agriculture. The census provides valuable data to all levels of government for tracking the growth and development of the farm sector across the country. Following consultations with industry in 2017, several questions were developed and …
Agriculture first for support
Close to three-quarters of BC residents believe agri-food companies should be first in line for government assistance to help them weather the effects of COVID-19, according to a survey market research firm Research Co. conducted in partnership with Glacier Media. “Across the province, the highest level of support for government assistance is observed for agri-food …
Ag minister brings cash
Two weeks into parliament’s summer recess, and federal politicians have been busy making the rounds as Ottawa prepares for an election on October 21. Agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau toured several farms in BC last week as part of a swing through the province that saw cash announced for the berry and dairy sectors. The largest …
BC shapes Food Policy for Canada
An in-camera discussion at UBC two years ago was one of six stakeholder meetings held across the country that helped shape the recently released Food Policy for Canada. The meeting on September 5, 2017 was one of six that followed an online consultation that attracted nearly 45,000 responses, including 7,700 from BC. The closed session …