British Columbia Agriculture Minister Lana Popham says the government introduced regulatory changes this week that will allow 香蕉视频直播渟ome more residential flexibility香蕉视频直播� in the Agricultural Land Reserve.

The ALR, she noted, is 香蕉视频直播渁lways a hot topic, and you basically need a suit of armor any time you address any changes that are needed.香蕉视频直播�

Popham said the new rule, to take effect Dec. 31, will streamline approval for a small secondary residence in the reserve. 香蕉视频直播淭his can be used to house farm labour, it can be an agri-tourism accommodation, you can rent it out for supplemental income. Under the previous government only family members were allowed to have this space on the ALR parcel, most commonly in a mobile home. We香蕉视频直播檝e opened that up to folks outside the family and we香蕉视频直播檝e expanded the type of dwelling from mobile homes.香蕉视频直播�

Popham said permission will still be required from local governments or First Nations governments 香蕉视频直播渂ut there will be no applications to the Agricultural Land Commission.香蕉视频直播� She said it could be a secondary residence 香蕉视频直播渢hat looks like a garden suite,香蕉视频直播� a guest house or a manufactured home.

香蕉视频直播淗aving an option opens up new doors to families,香蕉视频直播� Popham said. 香蕉视频直播淚 also think one of the things we heard most from new farmers is that they didn香蕉视频直播檛 have anywhere to live 香蕉视频直播� they could lease some land, but they香蕉视频直播檇 have to travel and commute to that land in order to farm it as a business.香蕉视频直播�

Popham was the guest speaker Friday during a Zoom meeting hosted by the Surrey Board of Trade concerning the state of the agriculture industry in B.C., and in Surrey in particular. Anita Huberman, CEO of the board, noted that Surrey香蕉视频直播檚 land base is one-third agricultural.

Popham noted that the past 16 months have been 香蕉视频直播渋ncredibly difficult for everyone香蕉视频直播� on account of the pandemic and recent heat wave. 香蕉视频直播淭here is no ignoring the issue of how climate is affecting our agriculture sector,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淥f course we have fires right now that are threatening some agricultural businesses. It香蕉视频直播檚 quite sad.香蕉视频直播�

She said B.C. brings in about 12,000 temporary foreign workers, mostly from Mexico, to work local farms, greenhouses and other agricultural businesses. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檇 like to see more domestic labour and we would like to be able to see agri-tech support different types of labour, labour that starts with technology.香蕉视频直播�

Popham said 150 agri-tech companies are already operating in B.C. One features a robot strawberry harvester here in Surrey, she noted, 香蕉视频直播渨hich finds ripe strawberries, picks them, doesn香蕉视频直播檛 damage the fruit, doesn香蕉视频直播檛 damage the plant and is easier on everybody香蕉视频直播檚 backs. So this type of technology really helps us address some of the labour shortages that we香蕉视频直播檙e seeing in agriculture.香蕉视频直播�

Drones being used in vineyards can detect disease faster than the human eye can,香蕉视频直播� she added. 香蕉视频直播淲e see dairies that are using agri-tech to take the temperature of their cows to address any health issues before they become serious.香蕉视频直播�

She said Surrey has one of the first of B.C.香蕉视频直播檚 12 香蕉视频直播渇ood hubs,香蕉视频直播� Plenty & Grace Food Hub & Innovation Centre in South Surrey, that put shared-use processing facilities into communities where food entrepreneurs can access 香蕉视频直播渃utting-edge香蕉视频直播� equipment around the clock, eliminating barriers to small businesses that are starting up.

香蕉视频直播淭he products that are coming out of these food hubs are incredible,香蕉视频直播� Popham said.

Meantime, in February Popham sent a stern letter to the City of Surrey for dissolving the city香蕉视频直播檚 agriculture and food policy advisory committee. 香蕉视频直播淚 am disappointed that the city leadership did not seek dialogue nor public input prior to the planned committee re-assignment,香蕉视频直播� she wrote in a letter to Surrey council on Feb. 23.

香蕉视频直播淧lease be reminded that municipalities with the intention to restrict or prohibit agriculture within a farming area may need to become 香蕉视频直播榬egulated香蕉视频直播� under Section 553 of the Local Government Act,香蕉视频直播� she warned.

Asked about this Friday, Popham said she thinks it was 香蕉视频直播渕aybe a little but surprising香蕉视频直播� that she weighed in on the issue, 香蕉视频直播渂ut the importance of agriculture to our province is enormous, it香蕉视频直播檚 a huge economic generator.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淪urrey does have a third of its property in the ALR so you can香蕉视频直播檛, in my view, you can香蕉视频直播檛 really operate Surrey without acknowledging agriculture and so the reason why I weighed in is because I don香蕉视频直播檛 know of any community, really, that hasn香蕉视频直播檛 realized that food security is one of the biggest issues that we香蕉视频直播檙e going to face around the globe and so it just seemed like a really bad decision.香蕉视频直播�

Popham said decisions concerning the ALR, business proposals and 香蕉视频直播渇iguring out the best way to be the wind at the back of entrepreneurs, it all has to go hand-in-hand, agriculture can香蕉视频直播檛 stand alone. I think that香蕉视频直播檚 really what the message was when the committee got disbanded 香蕉视频直播� is that agriculture is on its own, and agriculture runs through the veins of every community.香蕉视频直播�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
Like us on Follow us on   and follow Tom on