As a class five drought continues to affect farms across Northern BC, Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach is calling for federal assistance.
Earlier today (Thursday), he wrote to the new Minister of Agriculture, Lawrence MacAulay, about the situation in northern BC and the threats farmers are facing.
“As a result, we’ve seen major crop failures. Farmers are getting as little as 10 per cent of their normal hay yield and that means they can’t feed their animals,” said Bachrach.
“Farmers are seeing the impact of climate change firsthand, and if the federal government doesn’t take significant actions in the coming weeks, we could lose a significant portion of our agricultural capacity. We can’t let that happen.”
A class five drought is the most severe classification, and he says that’s resulted in some farms selling their livestock to cover rising hay costs.
“This comes in addition to the challenges of the wildfire season and the challenges of rising interest rates,” said Bachrach.
Another concern he has is the potential for food costs to rise significantly if local farms are shut down.
Last week, Bachrach sent a letter to former Minister of Agriculture, Marie-Claude Bibeau, who was removed from the role in a recent cabinet restructuring.