The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries urges all livestock producers directly impacted by the B.C. floods to contact their local Industry Association to provide information about their situation to support with livestock related response needs. For agriculture producers that who are not members of an industry associations, contact the AgriService phone line at 1-888-221-7141.

For agricultural producers that need emergency support for personal safety outside of agricultural production needs, please contact your local Emergency Operations Center. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries will be posting all emergency resource bulletins to our central flood response resource page. 

Heavy rain is anticipated for Saturday night, with total rainfall potentially reaching 60 mm over southern sections to 100 mm near the mountains. Keep up to date with weather alerts for your area on ECCC's website or by subscribing to @ECCCWeatherBC.

Clarity regarding B.C.’s Hours of Service (HOS) regulations while providing relief related to the Provincial State of Emergency
In order to assist in the province’s recovery efforts during this state of emergency, drivers operating commercial motor vehicles to transport passengers, goods and supplies for the purpose of providing  relief in relation to flooding and landslides in B.C. are exempt under MVAR 37.11(d). Details regarding the exemption can be found in this BC Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure bulletin.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Interim Special Measures, in partnership with CFIA
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. Interim special measures have been developed to support domestic truck carriers moving product from a Canadian point of origin to a Canadian destination through the U.S. Follow this link for guidelines including entry/filing requirements, container security/verification, prohibited/restricted items, food in transit, and COVID-19 health measures.

Carriers that regularly travel between Canada and the United States (U.S.), should follow the standard procedures in order to facilitate and reduce delays in border crossings. CBSA guidance on the in-transit movement of Canadian goods through U.S. territory can be found here Departmental Memorandum D3-4-2, Highway Pre-Arrival and Reporting Requirements, paragraphs 59-66.

Certify Your Essential Vehicle
Until November 30, 2021, B.C. is prioritizing fuel for essential vehicles in impacted areas of the province. This is a temporary measure brought in by a new order under the Emergency Program to make sure we have a steady supply of fuel for the services and goods people depend on after the recent catastrophic weather events. Essential vehicles will not have a fuel limit.

Under the order, agricultural and farm-use vehicles and veterinarians supporting flood response are considered essential. For a full list of essential vehicles and regions covered please refer to the list on the Travel and fuel restrictions - Province of British Columbia website.

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.

What’s that smell? Anaerobic bacteria and crop decay.
Strong odors resembling the smell of sewage, Sulphur or ammonia in the Fraser Valley are primarily associated with wet soils and decaying field crops; anaerobic bacteria thrive under conditions of poor drainage. As field crops that were previously flooded become exposed with the receding water, odors are generated. 

Most outdoor horticultural crops were harvested prior to the flooding, and produce is not being harvested from flooded fields. There are no related food-safety, or health-safety risks to the public at this time.

Safe handling and disposal of deceased animals
The AgriService phone line 1-888-221-7141 is available to producers impacted by flooding that need support managing environmental hazards related to the disposal of perished animals.

AgriService phone line 1-888-221-7141 is available to producers impacted by flooding that need additional support, in particular those producers not serviced by the above contacts.
 
The Ministry’s priority is supporting those directly impacted and routine calls to AgriService 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.