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Vol. 109 No. 1
The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 JANUARY 2023 | Vol. 109 No. 1
POLITICS
Popham ends term with strong ambitions 7
FRUIT
Growers fail to block consolidation
9
PREVIEW
Pacific Ag Show on track for 2023
21
PETER MITHAM
VICTORIA – Abbotsford-
Mission MLA Pam Alexis is the
provinces new agriculture
minister following a cabinet
shue that saw her replace
Lana Popham, who had held
the role since 2017.
“I have big shoes to ll,
says Alexis, a rst-term MLA
who previously served as
mayor of Mission.
Alexis says she was invited
to serve less than 48 hours
prior to the swearing in of the
new cabinet on December 7.
“I was just tickled pink. I
was absolutely honoured, and
so pumped, she said of the
appointment. “I was really,
really excited and honoured,
but again knowing that I have
big shoes to ll.
Just six ministers retained
the portfolios assigned by
former premier John Horgan,
while 85% of the government
caucus received cabinet
positions.
Ebys mandate letters to
ministers prioritize the
provinces ongoing response
to COVID-19 and climate-
related natural disasters, as
well as reconciliation with
Indigenous peoples. He
identies housing, safety,
health care and addressing
climate change as key areas
for action.
Alexis’ letter identies her
priorities as food security and
protecting the Agricultural
Land Reserve, which marks its
50th anniversary this year.
“Your job will be to support
farmers, ranchers, and
seafood producers in the
critical work they do for all of
us, to ensure food security for
British Columbians by
A blanket of snow doesn’t always mean the end of harvest for BC vegetable farmers and some, like Apple Quill Farm in Wycliffe, are able to extend
their fresh market sales until well after the rst snow ies. See story on page 31.
MICHAEL ALBERT
Eby appoints new ag minister
See SHUFFLE on next page
o
PETER MITHAM
ABBOTSFORD – Biosecurity
by itself was not enough to
protect Fraser Valley poultry
farms from an ongoing
outbreak of highly pathogenic
avian inuenza last month.
Cases surged in the closing
weeks of 2022, with dozens of
commercial farms in the Fraser
Valley testing positive for the
disease. As of December 15,
nearly 2.7 million birds on 67
commercial farms had been
aected. This is more than
anywhere else in Canada this
year, and exceeds the 42 BC
farms infected in 2004 that led
to valley-wide depopulation.
See BIOSECURITY on next page
o
BC
leads
AI case
count
Bird flu soars
on FV farms
Winter harvest
Forage Seed
1-800-661-4559
Produced by
& available at
Postmaster, Please return
Undeliverable labels to:
Country Life in BC
36 Dale Road
Enderby, BC V0E 1V4
CANADA POSTES
POST CANADA
Postage paid Port payé
Publications Mail Post-Publications
40012122
Vol. 109 No. 1
The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 JANUARY 2023 | Vol. 109 No. 1
POLITICS
Popham ends term with strong ambitions 7
FRUIT
Growers fail to block consolidation
9
PREVIEW
Pacific Ag Show on track for 2023
21
PETER MITHAM
VICTORIA – Abbotsford-
Mission MLA Pam Alexis is the
provinces new agriculture
minister following a cabinet
shue that saw her replace
Lana Popham, who had held
the role since 2017.
“I have big shoes to ll,
says Alexis, a rst-term MLA
who previously served as
mayor of Mission.
Alexis says she was invited
to serve less than 48 hours
prior to the swearing in of the
new cabinet on December 7.
“I was just tickled pink. I
was absolutely honoured, and
so pumped, she said of the
appointment. “I was really,
really excited and honoured,
but again knowing that I have
big shoes to ll.
Just six ministers retained
the portfolios assigned by
former premier John Horgan,
while 85% of the government
caucus received cabinet
positions.
Ebys mandate letters to
ministers prioritize the
provinces ongoing response
to COVID-19 and climate-
related natural disasters, as
well as reconciliation with
Indigenous peoples. He
identies housing, safety,
health care and addressing
climate change as key areas
for action.
Alexis’ letter identies her
priorities as food security and
protecting the Agricultural
Land Reserve, which marks its
50th anniversary this year.
“Your job will be to support
farmers, ranchers, and
seafood producers in the
critical work they do for all of
us, to ensure food security for
British Columbians by
A blanket of snow doesn’t always mean the end of harvest for BC vegetable farmers and some, like Apple Quill Farm in Wycliffe, are able to extend
their fresh market sales until well after the rst snow ies. See story on page 31.
MICHAEL ALBERT
Eby appoints new ag minister
See SHUFFLE on next page
o
PETER MITHAM
ABBOTSFORD – Biosecurity
by itself was not enough to
protect Fraser Valley poultry
farms from an ongoing
outbreak of highly pathogenic
avian inuenza last month.
Cases surged in the closing
weeks of 2022, with dozens of
commercial farms in the Fraser
Valley testing positive for the
disease. As of December 15,
nearly 2.7 million birds on 67
commercial farms had been
aected. This is more than
anywhere else in Canada this
year, and exceeds the 42 BC
farms infected in 2004 that led
to valley-wide depopulation.
See BIOSECURITY on next page
o
BC
leads
AI case
count
Bird flu soars
on FV farms
Winter harvest
Forage Seed
1-800-661-4559
Produced by
& available at