Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to thank the committee for holding this special meeting on the impacts of the extreme weather event in British Columbia. As you know, the floods were significant, and dairy, poultry, swine, beef, horticulture and fruit and vegetable growers all incurred significant losses. Over 1,000 farms, 15,000 hectares and 2.5 million livestock were impacted by the floods.
I want to note that producers do have access to a suite of business risk management programs that will help them manage the significant risks that threaten the viability of their operations. These programs include, obviously, the AgriRecovery initiatives and AgriStability, AgriInsurance and AgriInvest. These programs are cost-shared 60:40 between the federal government and the provinces.
Last month, Minister Bibeau and Minister Popham visited with some of the farmers and ranchers in the region to see the full extent of the damage to the lands and livestock. They essentially struck a federal-provincial task team, which was quickly established, to understand the full impacts of the event and how AgriRecovery could respond to help producers with disaster recovery costs.
I should note that AAFC has experience in working with the provinces on AgriRecovery initiatives, most recently having rapidly deployed programs totalling $825 million in response to drought conditions across western Canada and northwestern Ontario.
Today, as we consider the impacts of the significant floods, we know that the agriculture sector will face a number of challenges related to productive assets, soil health, feed shortages, plant health, disease and contamination, and the impact of livestock losses.
I am joined by Scott Pellow, the executive director who leads AAFC's AgriRecovery team. By way of example, I thought I could share some of the extraordinary expenses that could be supported under the program. These include the cleanup, repair and restoration of land, barns and animal shelter, water and waste systems; work to return flood-impacted land and buildings to a safe environment for agricultural production; repair of on-farm structures such as livestock containment fences and drainage ditches; and measures related to animal welfare, such as the replacement of feed, livestock transportation, veterinary care and, unfortunately, mortality disposal.
In addition, federal and provincial officials are working with Public Safety Canada to better understand how AgriRecovery initiatives could best complement the support that will be provided through the disaster financial assistance arrangements, known as DFAA. I want to note that I'm also joined by my colleague Stéphanie Durand, who is the director general for the emergency management and policy branch of Public Safety Canada and who can also respond to some of your questions.
As noted earlier, producers also have access to other business risk management programs. We've encouraged producers to sign up for AgriStability, which can help farmers cover severe drops in their income. Initial payments, through interim payments, can be made available in a matter of weeks. We've also put in place what we refer to as “bilateral late participation”, which allows producers who aren't currently enrolled to enrol in the program. Insured producers can also make claims under AgriInsurance, which insures crops against losses due to weather.
As you have heard from the president and chief executive officer of Farm Credit Canada, FCC has reached out to affected clients to offer flexible financing terms to help ease the pressures on cash flows.
In closing, I should mention that during her visit to British Columbia in December 2021, Deputy Prime Minister Freeland said that agriculture would be eligible for a share of the $5 billion in disaster recovery support outlined in the economic and fiscal update.
In December, the Committee of British Columbia and Federal Ministers on Disaster Response and Climate Resilience held its first meeting. They're working together with first nations to ensure an effective response and recovery, while also enhancing climate adaptation and response measures.
Mr. Chair, AAFC officials and our federal-provincial colleagues will continue to support B.C. producers during this incredibly difficult time.
Thank you again, Mr. Chair. We're now available to respond to your questions.