Small businesses often lack benefits plans, but a new initiative by the BC Agriculture Council hopes to change that for farmers. On May 4, BCAC invited producers to participate in a survey that will lay the foundation for a competitive benefits program intended to help them attract and retain workers. “We are exploring the need …
BCAC
Carbon tax rebate announced
This week’s provincial budget delivered on a long-time wish of the agriculture sector by nixing the carbon tax rebate program in favour of a point-of-sale reduction similar to what exists in other jurisdictions. The change is one the BC Agriculture Council and greenhouse growers have been urging for years, most recently during the Ag Days …
Ag Days hit Victoria
BC Agriculture Council representatives stormed Victoria this week for meetings with cabinet ministers and MLAs as part of the annual Ag Days lobbying event. This year’s event was the first in-person meeting since 2019, following two years of Zooming in to make the case for agriculture to government. “This year’s discussions will focus on producer-led …
Disaster relief deadline passes
Fresh landslides in the Nicola Valley last week underscored the ongoing impacts of last year’s extreme weather as the deadline for applications to the federal-provincial AgriRecovery program unveiled in response to last November’s catastrophic mudslides and flooding approached. But just a fraction of the $228 million allocated to the 2021 Flood Recovery Program for Food …
Budget consultation picks priorities
The annual hearings of the province’s budget committee – formally known as the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services – has picked three key funding priorities for the agriculture sector in the 2023/2024 fiscal year. The committee’s report, issued August 11, flagged calls for greater provincial funding of agriculture, presentations regarding the importance …
Hog farm invaders convicted
Two leaders of a high-profile farm invasion in April 2019 have been convicted on charges of break-and-enter and mischief. Amy Soranno and Nick Schafer opted for trial by jury in the hope of better pleading their case and shining a light on farming practices in the province. But after a short trial, the jury ended …