More cases of avian flu detected in B.C.

Dec 15, 2014

Total number of farms now at 10

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

The avian flu outbreak in British Columbia continues as 10 farms are now confirmed to have birds infected with the H5N2 virus.

It’s estimated that more than 53,000 birds at the latest farm, in Langley B.C., are infected with the virus and are set to face euthanization or have already died because of it.

This comes after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed a ninth farm in Abbotsford on Thursday, where about 7,000 chickens are affected.

These new findings push the number of dead birds or birds to be euthanized to more than 230,000 according to the CFIA.

The virus was first confirmed at a farm in Chilliwack on December 1st and as a result, Singapore, Mexico, South Africa, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and the United States have placed restrictions or complete bans on poultry products from British Columbia and Canada.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.