British Columbia Agriculture Minister Lana Popham says the government introduced regulatory changes this week that will allow B次元官网网址渟ome more residential flexibilityB次元官网网址� in the Agricultural Land Reserve.

The ALR, she noted, is B次元官网网址渁lways a hot topic, and you basically need a suit of armor any time you address any changes that are needed.B次元官网网址�

Popham said the new rule, to take effect Dec. 31, will streamline approval for a small secondary residence in the reserve. B次元官网网址淭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. WeB次元官网网址檝e opened that up to folks outside the family and weB次元官网网址檝e expanded the type of dwelling from mobile homes.B次元官网网址�

Popham said permission will still be required from local governments or First Nations governments B次元官网网址渂ut there will be no applications to the Agricultural Land Commission.B次元官网网址� She said it could be a secondary residence B次元官网网址渢hat looks like a garden suite,B次元官网网址� a guest house or a manufactured home.

B次元官网网址淗aving an option opens up new doors to families,B次元官网网址� Popham said. B次元官网网址淚 also think one of the things we heard most from new farmers is that they didnB次元官网网址檛 have anywhere to live B次元官网网址� they could lease some land, but theyB次元官网网址檇 have to travel and commute to that land in order to farm it as a business.B次元官网网址�

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 SurreyB次元官网网址檚 land base is one-third agricultural.

Popham noted that the past 16 months have been B次元官网网址渋ncredibly difficult for everyoneB次元官网网址� on account of the pandemic and recent heat wave. B次元官网网址淭here is no ignoring the issue of how climate is affecting our agriculture sector,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淥f course we have fires right now that are threatening some agricultural businesses. ItB次元官网网址檚 quite sad.B次元官网网址�

She said B.C. brings in about 12,000 temporary foreign workers, mostly from Mexico, to work local farms, greenhouses and other agricultural businesses. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檇 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.B次元官网网址�

Popham said 150 agri-tech companies are already operating in B.C. One features a robot strawberry harvester here in Surrey, she noted, B次元官网网址渨hich finds ripe strawberries, picks them, doesnB次元官网网址檛 damage the fruit, doesnB次元官网网址檛 damage the plant and is easier on everybodyB次元官网网址檚 backs. So this type of technology really helps us address some of the labour shortages that weB次元官网网址檙e seeing in agriculture.B次元官网网址�

Drones being used in vineyards can detect disease faster than the human eye can,B次元官网网址� she added. B次元官网网址淲e see dairies that are using agri-tech to take the temperature of their cows to address any health issues before they become serious.B次元官网网址�

She said Surrey has one of the first of B.C.B次元官网网址檚 12 B次元官网网址渇ood hubs,B次元官网网址� Plenty & Grace Food Hub & Innovation Centre in South Surrey, that put shared-use processing facilities into communities where food entrepreneurs can access B次元官网网址渃utting-edgeB次元官网网址� equipment around the clock, eliminating barriers to small businesses that are starting up.

B次元官网网址淭he products that are coming out of these food hubs are incredible,B次元官网网址� Popham said.

Meantime, in February Popham sent a stern letter to the City of Surrey for dissolving the cityB次元官网网址檚 agriculture and food policy advisory committee. B次元官网网址淚 am disappointed that the city leadership did not seek dialogue nor public input prior to the planned committee re-assignment,B次元官网网址� she wrote in a letter to Surrey council on Feb. 23.

B次元官网网址淧lease be reminded that municipalities with the intention to restrict or prohibit agriculture within a farming area may need to become B次元官网网址榬egulatedB次元官网网址� under Section 553 of the Local Government Act,B次元官网网址� she warned.

Asked about this Friday, Popham said she thinks it was B次元官网网址渕aybe a little but surprisingB次元官网网址� that she weighed in on the issue, B次元官网网址渂ut the importance of agriculture to our province is enormous, itB次元官网网址檚 a huge economic generator.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淪urrey does have a third of its property in the ALR so you canB次元官网网址檛, in my view, you canB次元官网网址檛 really operate Surrey without acknowledging agriculture and so the reason why I weighed in is because I donB次元官网网址檛 know of any community, really, that hasnB次元官网网址檛 realized that food security is one of the biggest issues that weB次元官网网址檙e going to face around the globe and so it just seemed like a really bad decision.B次元官网网址�

Popham said decisions concerning the ALR, business proposals and B次元官网网址渇iguring out the best way to be the wind at the back of entrepreneurs, it all has to go hand-in-hand, agriculture canB次元官网网址檛 stand alone. I think thatB次元官网网址檚 really what the message was when the committee got disbanded B次元官网网址� is that agriculture is on its own, and agriculture runs through the veins of every community.B次元官网网址�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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