British Columbia's dairy farmers have been told that the new P500 dairy processing plant in Abbotsford remains on track, and that they should start ramping up milk production in the coming months, Country Life in BC reports.
During the recent provincial election campaign, Vitalus Nutrition Inc. president and CEO Phil Vanderpol told media that up to $25 million in provincial funding announced for the plant two years earlier had been thrown into limbo by the snap election call, because of how the funding agreement was written. With the election over and premier-elect Lorne Doerkson pledging to clear the path for such projects, producers heard at the industry's fall meetings that the plant should begin operating in early 2028.
The plant will be the industry's processor of last resort, handling milk from across Western Canada alongside the milk concentration plant in Blackfalds, Alberta. The BC Milk Marketing Board told producers in October that commissioning is expected in late 2027.
To prepare, the board plans an initial 2% quota increase in February 2027 and a further 2% in April, together with incentive days to encourage production.
The prospect of new quota is lifting demand for land after a sluggish period that had pushed down farmland values in the Lower Mainland. The Fraser Valley, the province's second most active market, saw transactions rise 24% in the first half of this year compared with a year earlier.
"Dairy farmers are expected to receive an increase in quota, which should further support demand for agricultural properties," said Chilliwack real estate agent Bryan Van Hoepen. "These are encouraging developments for the agricultural sector."
Photo: Thomas Quine / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Source: Country Life in BC
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