Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, has issued the following statement in support of the B.C. Agriculture Council’s Ag Day:

Four generations of the Rashleigh family have tilled land and milked cows on Vancouver Island for more than 100 years.

New Raspberry Replant Program funding will make growers in B.C. more competitive, while increasing the bounty of raspberries in the province for fruit lovers.

Farms that employed seasonal workers from other parts of Canada are eligible to receive support for some of the costs they incurred to keep their workers safe and ensure British Columbians could enjoy local fruits and vegetables this summer and fall.

Hazelnut growers in the province are being offered help planting new trees or removing infected ones through a new intake of the Hazelnut Renewal Program.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries has issued the below statement on the current status of mink farming in British Columbia following the issuing of a false news release attributed to the B.C. government this morning:

Severinski Farms in Pitt Meadows is being honoured with a Century Farm and Ranch Award to celebrate the entrepreneurship of one family that has supplied dairy products to the neighbouring communities for more than a century.

B.C.’s ranchers can access up to $20 million to help with extraordinary expenses they incur for feed, shelter, animal health and safety, and the transportation of their livestock as a result of this year’s wildfires and drought.