British Columbia Agriculture Minister Lana Popham says the government introduced regulatory changes this week that will allow 害羞草研究所渟ome more residential flexibility害羞草研究所� in the Agricultural Land Reserve.

The ALR, she noted, is 害羞草研究所渁lways a hot topic, and you basically need a suit of armor any time you address any changes that are needed.害羞草研究所�

Popham said the new rule, to take effect Dec. 31, will streamline approval for a small secondary residence in the reserve. 害羞草研究所淭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害羞草研究所檝e opened that up to folks outside the family and we害羞草研究所檝e expanded the type of dwelling from mobile homes.害羞草研究所�

Popham said permission will still be required from local governments or First Nations governments 害羞草研究所渂ut there will be no applications to the Agricultural Land Commission.害羞草研究所� She said it could be a secondary residence 害羞草研究所渢hat looks like a garden suite,害羞草研究所� a guest house or a manufactured home.

害羞草研究所淗aving an option opens up new doors to families,害羞草研究所� Popham said. 害羞草研究所淚 also think one of the things we heard most from new farmers is that they didn害羞草研究所檛 have anywhere to live 害羞草研究所� they could lease some land, but they害羞草研究所檇 have to travel and commute to that land in order to farm it as a business.害羞草研究所�

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害羞草研究所檚 land base is one-third agricultural.

Popham noted that the past 16 months have been 害羞草研究所渋ncredibly difficult for everyone害羞草研究所� on account of the pandemic and recent heat wave. 害羞草研究所淭here is no ignoring the issue of how climate is affecting our agriculture sector,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淥f course we have fires right now that are threatening some agricultural businesses. It害羞草研究所檚 quite sad.害羞草研究所�

She said B.C. brings in about 12,000 temporary foreign workers, mostly from Mexico, to work local farms, greenhouses and other agricultural businesses. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檇 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.害羞草研究所�

Popham said 150 agri-tech companies are already operating in B.C. One features a robot strawberry harvester here in Surrey, she noted, 害羞草研究所渨hich finds ripe strawberries, picks them, doesn害羞草研究所檛 damage the fruit, doesn害羞草研究所檛 damage the plant and is easier on everybody害羞草研究所檚 backs. So this type of technology really helps us address some of the labour shortages that we害羞草研究所檙e seeing in agriculture.害羞草研究所�

Drones being used in vineyards can detect disease faster than the human eye can,害羞草研究所� she added. 害羞草研究所淲e see dairies that are using agri-tech to take the temperature of their cows to address any health issues before they become serious.害羞草研究所�

She said Surrey has one of the first of B.C.害羞草研究所檚 12 害羞草研究所渇ood hubs,害羞草研究所� Plenty & Grace Food Hub & Innovation Centre in South Surrey, that put shared-use processing facilities into communities where food entrepreneurs can access 害羞草研究所渃utting-edge害羞草研究所� equipment around the clock, eliminating barriers to small businesses that are starting up.

害羞草研究所淭he products that are coming out of these food hubs are incredible,害羞草研究所� Popham said.

Meantime, in February Popham sent a stern letter to the City of Surrey for dissolving the city害羞草研究所檚 agriculture and food policy advisory committee. 害羞草研究所淚 am disappointed that the city leadership did not seek dialogue nor public input prior to the planned committee re-assignment,害羞草研究所� she wrote in a letter to Surrey council on Feb. 23.

害羞草研究所淧lease be reminded that municipalities with the intention to restrict or prohibit agriculture within a farming area may need to become 害羞草研究所榬egulated害羞草研究所� under Section 553 of the Local Government Act,害羞草研究所� she warned.

Asked about this Friday, Popham said she thinks it was 害羞草研究所渕aybe a little but surprising害羞草研究所� that she weighed in on the issue, 害羞草研究所渂ut the importance of agriculture to our province is enormous, it害羞草研究所檚 a huge economic generator.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淪urrey does have a third of its property in the ALR so you can害羞草研究所檛, in my view, you can害羞草研究所檛 really operate Surrey without acknowledging agriculture and so the reason why I weighed in is because I don害羞草研究所檛 know of any community, really, that hasn害羞草研究所檛 realized that food security is one of the biggest issues that we害羞草研究所檙e going to face around the globe and so it just seemed like a really bad decision.害羞草研究所�

Popham said decisions concerning the ALR, business proposals and 害羞草研究所渇iguring out the best way to be the wind at the back of entrepreneurs, it all has to go hand-in-hand, agriculture can害羞草研究所檛 stand alone. I think that害羞草研究所檚 really what the message was when the committee got disbanded 害羞草研究所� is that agriculture is on its own, and agriculture runs through the veins of every community.害羞草研究所�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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