Emergency Resources Bulletin: December 1, 2021
 
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EMERGENCY RESOURCES BULLETIN | December 1
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries urges livestock producers directly impacted by flooding to contact their local industry association for support with livestock-related response needs. Agriculture producers in Abbotsford that do not belong to dairy, poultry or hog commodity associations should call the Abbotsford agricultural emergency response line at 1-604-262-7640.

For all other agricultural inquiries, contact the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries AgriService BC emergency response line at 1-888-221-7141.

 

 

 

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Weather monitoring and evacuation alerts

Keep up-to-date with weather alerts for your area on ECCC's website or by subscribing to @ECCCWeatherBC on Twitter.

Concerned you may need to evacuate? Visit EmergencyInfoBC for evacuation alerts and orders.

 

 

 

Travel & Product Transport

DriveBC
Road conditions are changing regularly. Refer to the Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure‘s DriveBC.ca or DriveBC.ca/mobile for up-to-date information on road conditions and events. Updates are also available by subscribing to @DriveBC on Twitter.

Certify your vehicle for fuel purchases
Temporary restrictions on vehicle fuel purchases and travel in areas impacted by flooding continue to ensure the movement of essential goods and services. Vehicles supporting flood response are exempt from the fuel limit, including:
 - Agricultural and farm-use vehicles
 - Veterinarians 
If you are not able to access fuel at a commercial trucking gas station (cardlock gas station), you must request certification as an essential vehicle in order to purchase fuel beyond the 30-litre limit.

Special measures at the United States-Canada border
Due to extreme weather conditions in B.C. that have caused supply chain disruptions, Canadian domestic truck carriers may need to transit through the U.S. to reach destinations in Canada. Special measures are in place to support domestic truck carriers moving product from a Canadian point of origin to a Canadian destination through the U.S. 
 - U.S. Customs and Border Protection guidance to alleviate supply chain disruptions in B.C.
 - Canada Border Services Agency guidance on transit through the U.S.


Carriers that regularly travel between Canada and the United States should follow standard procedures in order to reduce delays in border crossings. 
Survey on Essential and Priority Goods Movement
The joint federal/provincial Supply Chain Recovery Working Group is supporting supply chain restoration in B.C., and are working to identify essential or high-priority goods requiring support. Producers are invited to complete a 5-minute survey to help identify areas of critical need. 
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Food Processors

Labelling and packaging requirements for pre-packaged foods
Due to the extreme flooding in British Columbia (BC), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is providing information to food businesses regarding labelling and packaging requirements for certain foods sold at retail or to foodservice establishments in BC. Notice to industry here.

Re-entry & Re-start

Request a re-entry permit to access your farm
Permits are issued by your local Emergency Operations Centre based on regular safety assessments, and may be delayed or withdrawn if the safety situation changes. 

Participate in the AgriStability program
The AgriStability program provides funding to farmers who have experienced income declines due to crop or livestock losses or market conditions. Late Participation has been implemented to allow participants who are not currently enrolled for the 2021 program year to apply to enrol until December 31, 2022.

Program details and information on how to enrol can be found on the Agriculture income protection (AgriStability) webpage or contact the AgiStability office at 1-877-343-2767 or via email at AgriStability@gov.bc.ca

AgriRecovery
The AgriRecovery program assists livestock and crop producers with recovery costs which are beyond the supports provided by existing government disaster financial assistance, risk management programs, and private insurance. 

The governments of B.C. and Canada are making good progress defining the scope of need for this disaster event. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries is consulting the livestock and horticulture industry association representatives to identify the expected recovery costs required to return to production after the flood water dissipates and anticipate having a program developed in the weeks ahead.

 

 

 

Staying healthy in stressful times

The floods are having a devastating impact on our lives and our wellbeing. Help and resources for people who need to talk or feel overwhelmed are available

 

 

 

The Ministry‘s priority is supporting those directly impacted by flooding. Routine calls to the AgriService phone line 1-888-221-7141 may have delayed response times.  
 Want to see more webinars to support that could support your business? Visit our AgriService B.C. Past Webinars library to view other recorded webinars.
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Have a question about agriculture or food?

Contact AgriService BC   
Phone:
1-888-221-7141
Email: AgriServiceBC@gov.bc.ca

AgriService BC connects farmers, food processors and new entrants to agricultural services, programs and information that can help them succeed.