EMBC Wildfire 2021 Emergency Feed Program

Last updated on August 10, 2021

 “Addressing loss of summer livestock feed due to wildfire”

The program is meant to support commercial livestock businesses in the response stage i.e., as they respond to the threats and impacts of wildfire and transition to a revised operational strategy. The program will provide emergency feed support for up to 14 days to facilitate those transitions and/or to continue to respond to wildfire related activities. Extensions will be considered upon request and granted pending review by the Agriculture Program Team.

The program is meant to provide feed for commercial livestock businesses in situations where due to wildfire and related activities:

a) they cannot access their normal forage/feed supply, and

b) in order to keep their livestock safe, they are forced to use forage or feed resources that are normally required to feed livestock through the rest of their yearly production cycle.

Hay and feed resources supplied by this program are not to be stockpiled. This support is intended for the approved 14-day timeframe to provide the farm business with time to find alternatives while supporting immediate livestock health and welfare without depleting fall/winter feed. Businesses are encouraged to begin transition planning as soon as possible.

This program is not intended to supersede other response strategies, such as farm/ranch emergency plans or the livestock relocation program. Provision of feed for livestock will require that the feeding and forage storage locations are safe, feed transportation can be done in a safe manner and livestock caregivers are secure.

The program provides feed for the livestock being housed based upon standard animal consumption levels and does not provide reimbursement for field, storage or other loses (i.e., Forage production setbacks due to untimely grazing).

This program is NOT a feed supply program to address drought conditions.

Eligibility

  • The livestock operation must be a commercial livestock-based farm business. Farm business operations are defined by the Farm Practices Protection (Right to Farm) Act as business operations where there is a reasonable expectation of income based on sales of commercial livestock. (and/or their products)
  • The livestock operation must be prepared to provide proof of filing 2020 income tax as farm operation or provide proof of recent purchase of farm operation
  • Applies in cases where:
    • The current forage or feed resources (pasture or range) has been burned or deemed unsafe and,
    • No alternative forage resources are available (i.e., grazing rotation adjustments) and,
    • Livestock are being “sheltered in place” at the home ranch, other land held by the livestock business or, by agreement, other land deemed safe for the interim where the forage/feed being consumed is the fall/winter forage supply, i.e., fields that provide late fall/winter forage.
  • There are many registered Indigenous farm operations in BC as well as several First Nations led operations that provide food to a community.  To determine eligibility for this program, First Nations operators are encouraged to apply for an assessment of eligibility.

Non-eligibility

  • Non-commercial farm businesses (i.e., hobby farms that do not file income tax as a farm.)
  • Livestock operations that have options to move livestock to different areas of their crown range to provide forage.

How to apply

Program access is initiated by the farm business by requesting assistance through the local EOC (Emergency Operation Centre), agreeing to program conditions, providing and validating the necessary information and ongoing communication with the program’s staff.

Note:

This program is distinct from the Livestock Relocation Program, consequently livestock engaged in one program cannot also receive duplicate support from the other program.

Each application will be adjudicated based on each situation.

Be aware that being located within an evacuation alert or order area does not automatically make you eligible for the program.

Contact information

Agriservice B.C.

Have a question about agriculture in B.C.? Call or email and a staff person will assist you.

Telephone: 1-888-221-7141

Email: AgriServiceBC@gov.bc.ca

www.gov.bc.ca/agriservicebc