Melissa Tesche has been chosen to succeed Glen Lucas as general manager of the BC Fruit Growers Association. Lucas retires March 4, after a 25-year career in the industry. “We are happy to welcome Melissa to the team,” says BCFGA president Peter Simonsen. Lucas will support Tesche as she transitions into the new role and …
BCFGA
Apple crop down, quality up
BC’s apple harvest is in full swing, and early estimates indicate a slightly smaller crop but high-quality fruit. Overall production is expected to be down about 10% this year, thanks in part to a 5% decline in acreage as well as weather. The growing season in the Interior started about two weeks later than usual …
Ag minister visits Okanagan
Harsh weather drove stern words to BC agriculture minister Pam Alexis as she visited the Okanagan last week to meet with grape growers, orchardists and ranchers. The three sectors have been hit hard in recent months and years by weather-related events. Wine Growers BC is forecasting a 54% decline in grape and wine production this …
Cherry harvest firming up
The heat that began in mid-May has given cherry crops an extra push as the season approaches. While grocers across Canada have begun promotion of imported fruit, Coral Beach Farms Ltd. issued its own update this week heralding the start of harvest on July 5. While it expects initial volumes to be light, moderate fruit …
Industry looks to move needle on labour shortage
Two new initiatives are digging into solutions to the perennial labour shortage facing BC producers. A report released by the BC Fruit Growers Association on March 31 analyzes temporary foreign worker programs in the US and Canada with a view to helping smaller operations access labour. The report proposes a pilot project that could reduce …
Watershed strategy could hang ag out to dry
VICTORIA – The province’s proposed watershed security strategy is big on local governance but short on protections for agriculture, say critics of an intentions paper released March 6. “This is a very complex, high-level document,” says Elaine Stovin assistant general manager of the BC Cattlemen’s Association. “But it contains very little actual policy on how …