STONE – Farmers, ranchers need help during these times of fire and drought

By TODD STONE
MLA, Kamloops-South Thompson

IT’S INCREDIBLY TOUGH to hear the emotion and desperation from B.C. farmers and ranchers who are faced with an absolute catastrophe during B.C.’s worst wildfire season in terms of hectares burned.

Included in this record amount of burned land are the grazing pastures their cattle normally feed on. For those who still have workable fields, nothing is growing because of severe drought.

With their hay crops down to nothing, and not enough feed to get their livestock through the fall or winter, many are making the difficult decision to sell them off at auction.

This sell-off could see ranchers selling the very cows that would bear next year’s calves. For farmers, crops are suffering due to drought, and water access is a key issue. There are also worries about future growing seasons, as farmers rely on good soil and a healthy ecosystem to grow our food. All of this can threaten B.C.’s food security.

Our BC United team continues to call on the government to support our farmers and ranchers through this extraordinarily challenging time. AgriServiceBC has set up a hotline they can call for support at 1-888-221-7141. But we’re hopeful the province will consider measures beyond the short-term, including financial assistance and help finding feed, so ranchers can keep their animals through the fall and winter.

We have seen other provinces come up with ways to support farmers and ranchers through these extreme conditions. In Saskatchewan, for example, changes have been made to agriculture insurance to allow a greater number of acres with low-yielding crops to be repurposed for livestock feed. Saskatchewan and Alberta have also declared states of emergency.

Our caucus has pressed the government to do the same — to declare a provincial state of emergency that will allow farmers and ranchers to access vital federal disaster relief and other agricultural support programs that could provide critical help to their operations. It’s clear they need urgent help now.

As for the rest of us, we can limit our water usage and, as always, do our part to avoid igniting wildfires. Please be fire smart. It’s only mid-July and we are already in the midst of these extreme conditions.

The four worst wildfire seasons in our province’s history have come in the last six years. We must do more to protect our precious resources and ensure a bright future not only for farmers, ranchers and other producers — but for all of us.

Todd Stone was elected MLA for Kamloops-South Thompson in 2013, 2017, and again in 2020. He currently serves as the Official Opposition House Leader as well as the Critic for Jobs, Economic Recovery, Trade and Innovation.