The deadline for a program to help British Columbia producers get back on their feet after last year’s floods has been extended by three months.
People now have until Aug. 31 to apply to the Canada-B.C. Flood Recovery for Food Security Program, up from the previous deadline of June 1, said a statement by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
“The damages are estimated to be over $200 million, which is why we’ve responded with this specific recovery package, the biggest of its kind in our province’s history, to help B.C. farmers recover, return to production and to strengthen our province’s food security.”
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More than 400 applications had been made to the program as of May 25, and more than $31 million had “already started flowing out to farmers, with more on the way,” said the statement. “Ministry staff are still assisting farmers with their applications and staff are also going out to farms to help assess damage, with over 350 field assessments completed so far.”
B.C. was forced to declare a state of emergency Nov. 17 due to flooding and landslides that severed much of the province’s road and rail links. Farmers were cut off from livestock feed access and veterinary care and couldn’t deliver goods to consumers.
Although producers worked with government officials to address gaps in the food supply chain, “we got unbelievably close to disaster when it came to our food systems,” Stan Vander Waal, chair of the B.C. Agriculture Council, said during an earlier interview.
More than 1,100 farms were affected, with the flooding impacting about 37,066 acres from Sumas Prairie near Abbotsford northeast to Merritt and Princeton, said the statement. “Severe losses were incurred by dairy, poultry, swine, beef, horticulture, fruit and vegetable growers, and land-based fish producers.”
Processing of claims will continue after the Aug. 31 deadline, with producers allowed to submit documents outlining their expenses after that date, said a separate provincial statement. One-on-one assistance in English and Punjabi for producers seeking to complete their applications is being provided at 888-332-3352.
