The province has announced an investment of $5 million for the agriculture sector to help protect B.C. farms from animal diseases, with a new animal disease preparedness and response program.
The program will aim at responding to and mitigating avian influenza, swine fever, and foot-and-mouth disease.
“This investment will provide B.C. farmers and ranchers with the support to plan and respond quicker and better to disease outbreaks,” said Pam Alexis, Minister of Agriculture and Food, Thursday at a press conference.
“It will also be used for the acquisition of equipment needed to respond to an outbreak as well as for research and implementation of biosecurity.”
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The government said the investment and program aim to support B.C.’s food supply more effectively.
The funding will help farmers plan, prepare, prevent and mitigate these animal diseases at their sites, with specific coordination and training for the livestock and poultry sector.
“Animal diseases, such as avian influenza, have a huge impact on farmers,” said Mark Siemens, BC Egg producers association’s president.
“Avian influenza used to be a seasonal challenge, that as poultry farmers, we would deal with every four to five years on a seasonal basis. But what we’ve seen, as the virus has changed, it is now a year-round challenge we are facing. The mental strain on farmers has been very challenging.
“These funds will allow us to bring on full-time staff and infrastructure to be able to better respond.”
The new preparedness and response plan is a part of the $200 million B.C. investment into food security initiatives that was announced on March 7.
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