Image: Rainerpuster / Dreamstime / The federal and provincial governments have renewed $1.5 in funding helping B.C.'s agricultural producers adapt to a warming planet.

By Don Mitchell

local farms

Province, feds renew $1.5M in programs helping B.C. farmers adapt to climate change

Sep 18, 2024 | 11:12 AM

VICTORIA – B.C. farmers and ranchers will receive another $1.5 million as part of an ongoing federal and provincial initiative addressing climate change impacts on local acreages.

The funding is part of the Regional Extension Program, implemented last year, ensuring that farmers across the province have the knowledge to prepare for, adapt to, and mitigate climate impacts to protect their farms and livestock.

“From flooding to wildfires and drought, our farmers and ranchers are facing the impacts of climate change head on,” federal minister of agriculture Lawrence MacAuley said in a statement Wednesday.

“That’s why it’s vitally important we continue to support the sector, and through programs like the Regional Extension Program, we’re making sure producers can protect their operations from these events and keep feeding their communities.”

The second wave of funding will support 16 regional projects that advise local farmers on soil health, water supply and management, greenhouse gas emissions, and the impact of drought and wildfires through field days and workshops.

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The program was first implemented in October 2023 and is part of a larger initiative tied to three levels of government: the $3.5 billion CleanBC initiative and the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP).

“We’re already seeing the results of this program helping people in our communities prepare for and adapt to extreme weather events, which is helping strengthen food security for people in B.C.,” Pam Alexis, B.C. Minister of Agriculture and Food said after news of the continued funding.