Bob Ingratta is back in the dairy industry. Ingratta was CEO of the BC Milk Marketing Board for almost six years, from December 2011 to March 2017. Three years later, he has been appointed as the new chair of the Canadian Dairy Commission. Saying strong leadership is required in the coming year, federal agriculture minister …
trade
Dairy producers payout
A first round of compensation to BC dairy farmers for market share lost thanks to concessions Canada granted during trade talks that resulted in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) has been almost entirely paid out. According to the Canadian Dairy Commission, 93% of …
Shout-out for vegetables
BC’s agrifood exports were a key driver of record revenues for the agriculture sector in 2018, rising 10% to $4.5 billion. The growth rate was double that of the sector as a whole, which grew 5% to $15 billion. Now, figures from BC Statistics indicate exports are on track to break through last year’s tally. …
BC agrifood exports rise
BC’s agrifood sector rung up revenues of nearly $15 billion in 2018, the province reported on December 13, a 5.2% increase from a year earlier. “It was an excellent year for agriculture in British Columbia. The hard work of many has led to record results,” BC agriculture minister Lana Popham said in a press release formally …
Tomato virus targeted
US guardians of plant health have placed restrictions on imports of greenhouse vegetables in an effort to combat tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV). The virus is a growing scourge of greenhouse vegetable producers, and a recognized threat in BC. The restrictions, announced November 22, apply to shipments from Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands and Israel. …
China reopens meat markets
China is once again welcoming shipments of beef and pork from Canada. China halted imports in June, after discovering inauthentic export certificates in a meat shipment. The origin of the certificates and even the meat it was attached to remains unknown, but China’s need for meat has outweighed other considerations. China is the world’s largest …