Flood-stricken B.C. farmers given more time to apply for disaster assistance
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Posted May 25, 2022 9:32 pm.
Last Updated May 25, 2022 9:33 pm.
B.C. has extended the deadline for farmers to apply for recovery help in connection with last fall’s devastating floods.
A statement from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food says farmers whose lands were damaged during torrential rains in November 2021, which led to washouts and mass flooding, now have until Aug. 31 to apply for assistance.
The previous application deadline for the federally and provincially funded program was June 1.
The Canada-BC Flood Recovery for Food Security Program aids farmers who lost livestock and crops by offsetting the costs of returning to production.
It provides reimbursement of uninsured expenses for everything from cleanup of lands, barns, water, and waste systems to renting temporary production facilities, replacing some perennial plants, and paying vets or mortality disposal crews.
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The statement says processing of claims will continue after the deadline and farmers can continue submitting documents outlining their expenses after the program closes at the end of August.
Farmers who have already started repairs are being told to keep their receipts, track the hours of work involved, and take pictures documenting the damage and repairs to support their application. They can apply online and get one-on-one assistance in English and Punjabi by emailing agrirecovery@gov.bc.ca or calling 1-888-332-3352.
The Canada-BC Flood Recovery for Food Security Program was introduced in February. In addition to funding from the province, it also makes use of the federal government’s AgriRecovery Framework and Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA).
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It has been billed as the largest recovery program for the sector in the province’s history.
November’s record rains combined with overflowing rivers swamped farmland in several areas of B.C., including large parts of the Fraser Valley. Thousands of animals were killed and countless crops were destroyed.
-With files from Martin MacMahon