The flooding in the B.C. interior poses a great risk to human life. We are also deeply concerned for the health and safety of farmers and farm workers as well as livestock in the affected areas. In the face of this natural disaster, dairy farmers are showing great community spirit in helping those impacted by the floods.
Our first concern is for the safety of residents of the affected areas. We also want to ensure that the supply chains can be maintained so the residents have access to the goods they need, including dairy products. We are in regular contact with our colleagues from the B.C. Dairy Association and the B.C. Milk Marketing Board and have offered our full support. Furthermore, we are in contact with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to identify emergency assistance and programs to support the dairy farmers affected by the floods.
We urge all those in the affected areas to heed the advice of public officials. Most importantly, we wish to extend our gratitude to the many first responders and volunteers – the heroes – working to help the individuals and animals that have been stranded or displaced by the flooding.