Wednesday May 26, 2022 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
BC farmers whose farms were damaged by floods in November 2021 can now apply to the Canada-BC Flood Recovery for Food Security Program until August 31, 2022.
Previously the deadline for farmers to begin their claim process was going to be next week (on June 1).
Flooding was significant in November 2021, particularly in the Fraser Valley agricultural area. At the time, BC Agriculture Minister Lana Popham visited the flooded areas around Abbotsford.
Reimbursing for uninsured expenses:
The provincial program helps farmers return to production by reimbursing them for uninsured expenses they incurred on activities such as:
- cleanup, repair and restoration of land, barns and animal shelters, and water and waste systems;
- returning flood-affected land and buildings to a safe state for agricultural production;
- repairing uninsurable essential farm infrastructure;
- repairing structures such as livestock-containment fences;
- renting temporary production facilities;
- installing drainage ditches and land-stabilization materials;
- animal welfare activities such as replacing feed, transporting livestock, veterinary care and mortality disposal; and
- replacing perennial plants not grown for sale.
Processing claims:
Processing of claims will continue after the August 31, 2022 deadline and farmers can continue submitting documents outlining their expenses after that date.
Funding for the Canada-BC Flood Recovery for Food Security Program is provided by the governments of Canada and British Columbia.
===== GOVERNMENT LINKS:
- Program criteria and application forms are available online: gov.bc.ca/agrifloodrecovery
- Program announcement from February 2022: https://news.gov.bc.ca/26217
- One-on-one assistance in English and Punjabi for completing applications: agrirecovery@gov.bc.ca (mailto:agrirecovery@gov.bc.ca) or toll-free: 1 888 332-3352.
- Income-protection programs for B.C. farmers: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/programs#Insurance B.C.’s emergency management planning for agriculture: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/business-market-development/emergency-management
===== RELATED:
BC & federal Agriculture ministers tour Abbotsford flooded area (December 10, 2021)
Food supply stable as flood-impacted agriculture recovers (November 30, 2021)
Trudeau meets with Premier Horgan after visiting flood-damaged agricultural area (November 26, 2021)