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he first federal-provincial Growing Forward program is in its final year of operation, which ends March 31. The federal government and all provinces have reached agreement on the general framework for a new five-year program, Growing Forward 2 (GF2). B.C. is currently working with the federal government to get its specific agreement in place before GF2 begins on April 1. GF2 will have three key priorities: Innovation, Competitiveness and Market Development, and Adaptability and Industry Capacity. Additional details will be made available once the agreement is signed. During the first nine months of 2012, Growing Forward provided nearly $4.8 million to support business development, innovation, food safety and sustainability in the British Columbia agriculture industry. The money has gone to a variety of commodity groups and research projects. The only berry industry organization to get a grant was the B.C. Blueberry Council – $59,920 for the third phase of an area- wide emerging threat assessment and outreach program to enhance on-farm biosecurity practices for critical new invasive species in blueberry, stone fruit, table wine grapes and non-crop host plants. The council’s grant came in Growing Forward’s third-quarter batch (released during the period July 1-Sept. 30). The BC Agriculture Research and Development Corp (ARDCorp) received the largest total between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30 — $2,792,529 for several major undertakings: Food Safety System Implementation (FSSI) Producer Program ($381,667), Enterprise Infrastructure Traceability Program ($495,805), Environmental Farm Planning Program ($458,000), Beneficial Management Practice Program ($1,373,400) and Knowledge Mobilization Web Platform Project ($83,657)...
Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. has promoted Keith Benoit to vice- president of global partners and developing markets. Benoit recently was director of international and Latin America markets and director of special markets. In his new position he oversees all business development in the Latin America and Asia Pacific regions and also will manage Ocean Spray’s North America alliance with PepsiCo. Benoit has worked for
22 British Columbia Berry Grower • Spring 2013
Massachusetts-based Ocean Spray for 30 years in sales, marketing and general management roles... Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick and Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon presented Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medals to Richard Bullock, Reg Ens and Nico Human during January’s Pacific Agriculture Show Gala, in recognition of significant achievements and distinguished service to their fellow citizens. Bullock was acknowledged for his role as chair of the Agricultural Land Commission and his ongoing efforts to preserve farmland in British Columbia, as well as his contributions to B.C.’s tree fruit sector as the former president of both the B.C. Fruit Growers’ Association and Sun- Rype Products. Ens, executive director of the B.C. Agriculture Council, has been a strong leader of agriculture both in his current position and with his previous involvement in businesses and industry associations. Human, CEO of the B.C. Food Processors Association, was recognized for his commitment to building the value-added food sector and previous contributions in supporting awareness and promotion of agriculture’s benefits in B.C... Also at the ag show gala, Dr. Jim Thompson, Professor and Director of the University of British Columbia Dairy Education and Research Centre, was announced as recipient of the Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C.’s 2013 Award of Excellence for Innovation in Agriculture and Agri- Food. A self-sustaining operation that supports the development and adaptation of new technologies for the dairy industry, the UBC centre has gained an international reputation for
supporting research and teaching in the areas of cattle reproduction, nutrition, housing, welfare and nutrient and energy recovery from manure. IAF chair Peter Levelton said Thompson’s pioneering efforts in developing the centre “have produced significant advancements for the dairy sector in B.C. and beyond”... According to the most recent report
from Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting (CAIR), the rate of agricultural fatalities in Canada declined by 38 per cent from 1990 through 2008. Throughout the 1990s, an average of 118 people died on farms each year. After 2000, that number dropped to an average of 89 deaths per year. “Although our goal of zero deaths is the only acceptable number, the new numbers are encouraging,” says Marcel Hacault, executive director of the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association. “We’re definitely seeing evidence of a greater commitment to managing safety risks on farms. Farmers are beginning to build safety plans into their business operations and we’re seeing increased interest in safety training courses for agricultural employees,” Hacault says. “Changing a safety culture is slow work, but these new numbers do show progress.”While the overall fatality rate from 1990 to 2008 was 13 deaths per 100,000 farmers, that number skyrockets for the most elderly farmers. Those 80 years of age or older have a fatality rate of almost 80 deaths per 100,000. From 1990 through 2008, 1,975 agricultural deaths were recorded in Canada. Seventy per cent of those fatalities were machine-related, with the top three most common sources of injury being rollovers, runovers and entanglements.
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