Province funds climate readiness

The first few weeks of the growing season have seen BC farmers face unseasonal heat, wildfires and flooding.

The events have underscored the importance of the Extreme Weather Preparedness for Agriculture program, which the province piloted last summer. The pilot is continuing this spring, with an additional infusion of up to $2.5 million.

The new funding will support an expanded scope that includes provincially licensed apiculture and aquaculture producers, as well as federally licensed cannabis and hemp producers.

“Climate change and extreme weather pose an array of challenges for people throughout British Columbia, including our farmers, ranchers and food producers,” a statement from BC agriculture minister Pam Alexis says of the rationale for the new funding.

The program has four streams focused on building a more resilient and sustainable agriculture and food sector by helping producers prepare for future climate events, such as wildfires, flooding and heatwaves.

The streams address preparedness for wildfires, flooding and extreme heat.

A fourth stream invites proposals for innovative projects that address a demonstrated need related to impacts from climate change. Projects “must have a significant element of ‘public interest’ and assist in achieving the items in the Minister of Agriculture and Food’s Mandate letter,” the province says. These applications will be considered after projects in the initial three streams.

The first year saw more than $1.4 million awarded to 129 projects in the poultry, dairy, beef, tree fruit and berry sectors. Barn cooling systems, which emerged as a priority for dairy and poultry producers during the June 2021 heat dome, were among the top projects funded.

“The welfare of our animals is the No. 1 concern for BC farmers when we’re faced with extreme weather,” says Abbotsford farmer Mark Siemens, president of the BC Egg Producers Association whose members lost 150,000 birds during the heat dome. “This funding will ensure we’re able to better prepare for and mitigate future extreme weather events.”

The funding, administered directly by the province, rewards advocacy efforts by the BC Agriculture Council on behalf of producers across the province.

“BC Agriculture Council has advocated for more support for industry in this area and is pleased to see this funding is already making a difference for the agriculture sector,” says BCAC executive director Danielle Synotte.

Applicants can access up to $35,000 in cost-shared funding in the current intake, which closes June 14, 2023.

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1 day ago

It was another sell-out at the 31st annual Fort Langley Cranberry Festival on Saturday with organizers selling 5,000 pounds of locally-grown, fresh berries in less than five hours. Youth from the Fort Langley Lions Club's Young Lions program scooped, bagged and weighed several pallets' worth of cranberries. Ocean Spray donated the berries, which the public bought to benefit the community. Local grower The Bog was also selling fresh berries, having brought 2,700 pounds, which were on track to sell out by the end of the#BCAgt.

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6 days ago

There was a lot of reminiscing and appreciation of how far BC's turkey industry has come at a reception celebrating the 75th anniversary of the BC Turkey Association and the 60th anniversary of the BC Turkey Marketing Board yesterday in Abbotsford. With a slideshow of events and people over the years, guests laughed and had a lot to be thankful for. "It's an opportunity to celebrate the industry at a time of year that's known for turkey. It's a culmination of all the year's work," says Natalie Veles, executive director with BC Turkey Marketing Board.

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Love it - Deb Etsell I see you 🤩

7 days ago

BC was the sole province to see farmland values decline in the first half of this year, dropping 1.9% according to a Farm Credit Canada report released Octover 7. This represented an acceleration in value declines from last year, and contributed to a 3.9% decline in the 12 montsh ended June 30. The drop follows on a 1.7% decline last year, which Farm Credit Canada attributed to tougher times in the fruit sector. However, the mid-year report points to a broader slowdown in value growth diven by higher production costs, tighter margins and uncertainty around trade, tariffs and international markets.

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Ndp

3 weeks ago

Channels of communication remain open between the provincial and federal governments with respect to financial relief for extraordinary costs stemming from this summer's ongoing drought and wildfires, but the BC Cattlemen's Association is urging producers to register for AgriStability to position themselves for any AgriRecovery package. "Hardworking families in the ranching and agriculture sectors, who provide food for the province, need the AgriRecovery program in place as soon as possible," says BC Cattlemen's president Alex Kuchar. But the provincial election creates an unfortunate delay. "It's not fair, in any form of the word, to see all those people who have lost so much in the fires to have to wait in limbo," says BC Cattlemen's general manager Kevin Boon.

Photo | Barb Edmonson / Firefly Ranch, Clinton

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Feedback on changes to rules governing food processing in the Agricultural Land Reserve has drawn about 250 submissions. But the proposal now hangs in the balance with Premier David Eby's decision to call a snap election, which also delays discussions of assistance for farmers hit hard by this year's wildfires and historic #BCAght.

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What would you expect from the NDP, when they still had a 2 year mandate?

Ridiculous timing. We have people needing answers and have to plan for winter supplies. Fires are long past, months have gone by knowing there was going to be the need for support. Drought was written on the wall even before summer began with no snow pack. This is not new to government and they are calling for another year just as bad for 2027. I throw my hands up and wonder what else needs to be more challenging than what we've experienced over the last 6 years in BC?

250 submissions.... I'm pretty sure there are more than 250 farmers in BC