Govt drought assistance too little too late for Peace region farmers: MLA
Farmers in the North Peace have had a difficult year, coping with drought, heat, and the resulting wildfires, according to Peace River North MLA Dan Davies. Davies, who has lived in Fort St. John all his life, says he doesn’t remember it ever being as hot as it was the first week of May. “We’ve had fires in May, but nothing to the level we’re seeing today.”
The lack of precipitation, coupled with the early, high temperatures, has resulted in a poor growing season for hay. Growers are seeing up to 50 per cent less yield in their hayfields. This is further reduced in areas where pasture fences were burned and livestock were grazing on the hay, rather than designated pasture lands.
“If you talk to any ranchers up here, they’re lucky if they’re getting half the yield off their hayfields,” said Davies. “That’s going to have significant impacts. We’re already seeing it at the cattle markets. There’s triple the volume that there normally is, because farmers and ranchers are already selling off their cattle.”
Pleas for help from farmers, ranchers, the Fort St. John & District Chamber of Commerce, and the Peace River Regional District over the last four months to deal with the devastating consequences of fire and drought have resulted in little government assistance. The provincial government has put forward a couple of initiatives designed to help farmers and ranchers throughout the province, but they barely scratch the surface of what is needed to feed livestock through the coming winter.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food collaborated with the federal government to extend the deadline for Agristability enrollment, so farmers and ranchers could receive financial assistance. Also, changes to crop insurance were approved so that producers could write off grain and oilseed crops that are being converted into livestock feed.
Provincial initiatives include the creation of an Access to Feed program, where, in conjunction with the BC Cattlemen’s Association, the government will match sellers of hay and feed with farmers and producers. The government provided $150,000 to the BC Cattlemen’s Association to support this program.
However, if a bale of hay costs $100, that amounts to only 1,500 bales for the entire BC cattle industry. This, Davies said, is far too little, far too late.
“Agriculture is the backbone industry of every province, and the government, the minister, doesn’t have any idea. Her response to the failing hay crops up here is to suggest planting more resilient crops.”
One of the big funds that came out recently, Davies said, is looking at innovation in farming. But farmers need that money right now. Innovation is something that happens in farming anyway, he said, and there’s already a lot of money in it.
“They’re missing the challenges. Farmers need feed or they might not make it.”
“It’s not like we can just go into northern Alberta and get hay – they’re in drought too. There needs to be more supports if there’s going to be a continued ranching industry in British Columbia, and if you want to feed people.”
Davies believes the government needs to look at stepping in. Not to give hand-outs, but to take a look at the future of ranching in British Columbia, of feeding BC and Canada. The government, he said, needs to come up with a plan that’s going to keep the industry going in the province.
“What you see now is farmers who aren’t going to have the money to continue on,” he said. “What does that do for young people that are looking at carrying on the family ranch? They’re seeing their mom and dad working 18 hours a day, basically making minimum wage, busting their butts, and not seeing the support from government that they need. Is that going to drive someone into that industry?”
“That’s what worries me more than anything – the future of farming.”