The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries urges producers directly impacted by flooding to contact their local industry association for support with agriculture-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.

If you or your staff need support in languages other than English, contact the ServiceBC emergency response line at 1-833-376-2452. Translation services are available seven days a week from 7:30 am to 5 pm (PDT). The ministry is working closely with the ServiceBC team to ensure they have up-to-date information on emergency resources and recovery programs for producers.

Updates to travel and fuel restrictions
The order restricting the purchase of fuel in certain regions is ending December 14th, 2021 at midnight. Restrictions on non-essential travel along severely damaged highways will continue. Essential travel includes:
 - Transporting livestock, agricultural or seafood products and supplies,
 - Livestock producers, veterinarians and support workers travelling to provide care for animals.

For up-to-date information on road conditions and events, check the Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure’s  DriveBC.ca or DriveBC.ca/mobile. Updates are also available by subscribing to @DriveBC on Twitter.

Navigating Highway 3
Drivers who do not regularly travel Highway 3 should consult the Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure’s Information Maps for the route to familiarize themselves with the several challenges they will encounter.
 - English Version (PDF, 1 Mb)
 - Punjabi Version (PDF, 157 Kb)

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. 

Report sturgeon and salmon on your property
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has requested that anyone finding Sturgeon or Salmon, living or deceased, on their property call the DFO Emergency Hotline at 604-666-3500.

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 working with industry to develop a program that addresses the needs of this disaster event. 

Contact agrirecovery@gov.bc.ca to receive an alert when the program is announced.

As you return to your farm, it is important that all necessary precautions are taken to ensure the health and safety of you, your family, and your staff.

Safely dispose of spoiled feed
Contaminated and spoiled feed can be composted on-farm or stored for future land application. Review guidance on safely managing spoiled and contaminated feed.

Arrange for safe removal of hazardous materials 
Do not attempt to relocate hazardous material such plant protection products (i.e., pesticides, fungicides, herbicides), fertilizers, and hydrocarbons (i.e., gasoline, diesel, heating oil, propane) if you believe they have been compromised due to the floods.

Producers in Abbotsford should contact the ministry‘s Abbotsford Agricultural Flood Response Line at 604-262-7640 to be connected with a hazardous materials disposal company for safe removal and disposal.

Responding to a liquid-manure overflow risk
Due to flooding, there is a risk of liquid manure releases from storage systems in the Metro Vancouver or Fraser Valley Regional Districts. An order has been issued requiring all agricultural operators in the area to contact the BC Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy.

At-risk operators should complete the Liquid Manure Overflow Risk Order Form: Section 80 AEM Code (PDF, 22KB) and email the completed form to authorizations.south@gov.bc.ca. The deadline to submit overflow risk order forms is December 19th, 2021.

What to do with flood debris
Resources are available from BC Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy to help you manage debris due to flooding, including flood damaged drywall.

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.

Apply for Employment Insurance
If you‘re unable to work due to flooding or wildfires, apply for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits as soon as possible, even if your employer hasn‘t yet issued you a record of employment.

 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.