Reading Time: 2 minutes More ranchers in five provinces may now be able to defer some of their taxable income from their livestock sales in 2016 due to drought. The federal government on Aug. 4 announced its final list of drought-designated regions where the livestock tax deferral provision will be allowed for the 2016 tax year, and has included […] Read more
Drought-related livestock tax deferral zones widen again
B.C. NDP’s ag critic named ag minister
Reading Time: 2 minutes The agriculture critic for British Columbia’s opposition New Democrats will be the minister of agriculture as the party takes the governing reins. Lana Popham, the MLA for the Vancouver Island riding of Saanich South, was named Tuesday as ag minister in Premier John Horgan’s cabinet. Horgan took over as premier after Christy Clark’s Liberals, who […] Read more
B.C. ag minister, ag critic hang on in election
Reading Time: < 1 minute British Columbia’s incumbent agriculture minister and opposition agriculture critic have both held onto their seats in the legislature so far through the province’s harrowing election Tuesday. Complete results aren’t expected to be available until after the final count starting May 22, but preliminary results put the province’s governing Liberals in minority status with 43 of […] Read more
B.C. rural plan includes livestock tag reader rebate
Reading Time: 2 minutes A new provincial rural economic development strategy for British Columbia includes extra money for livestock and invasive plant programs, among them a new rebate plan for livestock tag readers. The province on Friday released “Building on our Rural Advantages: B.C.’s Rural Economic Development Strategy,” a document laying out investments expected to support up to 26,600 […] Read more
Extra funds, orders help B.C. ALC clear backlog
Reading Time: 2 minutes British Columbia’s Agricultural Land Commission credits new funding, and a new regime of performance measures, with helping it to clear its backlog of applications. The ALC, the tribunal overseeing provincial measures to conserve farmland and enable farming-related land use, recently announced it has “eliminated” a backlog of 185 applications — and has processed over 90 […] Read more
B.C. to defend wine industry against U.S. trade action
Reading Time: < 1 minute Vancouver | Reuters — The British Columbia government said Wednesday it would defend its wine industry against a trade challenge from the U.S., and was confident it was not breaking any international trade rules. Earlier Wednesday, the U.S. said it started action against Canada at the World Trade Organization, accusing B.C. of discriminating against U.S. […] Read more
B.C. foods to require certification for organic claims
Reading Time: 2 minutes Agrifood producers in British Columbia who promote their wares using the word “organic” will soon have to show certification to back up the claim. The province on Thursday announced new regulations under its Food and Agricultural Products Classification Act that will allow for the term to be used “only if and when specific certification standards […] Read more
B.C. greenhouse peppers cleared for Japan
Reading Time: < 1 minute Canada and Japan have agreed on import conditions by which British Columbia’s produce growers will be able to ship greenhouse peppers to Japan. The agreement, effective immediately, means the province’s growers “could be looking at up to $20 million worth of pepper exports a year to Japan once the agreement is fully implemented,” B.C. Agriculture […] Read more
B.C. farm journal under new ownership
Reading Time: < 1 minute The monthly paper billed as Canada’s oldest independently-owned farm journal has yielded a new owner from its own front office. Cathy Glover, the assistant editor and sales manager for Country Life in B.C., was announced Wednesday as the journal’s new owner, taking over from retiring editor/publisher Peter Wilding. British Columbia’s commercial farmers and ranchers “have […] Read more
China money, market spur Canadian blueberry deluge
Reading Time: 4 minutes Richmond, B.C. | Reuters — An aging mansion sits vacant on an estate outside Vancouver, the garage overtaken by a blueberry sorter and a walk-in cooler packed with the fruit. The owner, an investor from mainland China, leases the estate to Fred Liu at such a bargain the farmer grows blueberries in its fields even […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
