'On edge': Fraser Valley farmers hardest hit in Canada by avian flu
CTV
In Aldergrove, B.C., Derek Janzen’s barns are filled with birds. But two years ago, Bordercreek Farms was in crisis.
In Aldergrove, B.C., Derek Janzen’s barns are filled with birds.
But two years ago, Bordercreek Farms was in crisis.
“Back in December 2022, early in the month, we noticed we had abnormal mortality in one of our barns,” said Janzen, a second-generation farmer.
By the next day, a veterinarian had confirmed the birds were infected with highly pathogenic avian flu.
“It started to move from one end of the barn to the other and each day you went in, there were more and more. It’s devastating to see,” explained Janzen who has been on his farm for 26 years.
Ultimately, 200,000 of his chickens had to be euthanized. It put him out of production for about three months and it took even longer to return to full production.
Despite ramped-up biosecurity, Fraser Valley farms remain the hardest hit in all of Canada when it comes to avian flu. There are currently 54 infected premises in B.C., compared to just four in Alberta, which has the second-highest case load.
