Drought conditions have significant impacts on communities around the province, specifically for farmers who are extremely dependent on water and water management.
To help B.C. farmers, the province is hosting more than 30 in-person workshops in different communities including in the Interior, Cariboo, Kootenays, Lower Mainland, Peace region and Vancouver Island areas.
These workshops will help producers” improve their irrigation systems, explore options for on-site water storage and how to better manage water during times of scarcity.”
According to the province, different drought management aspects farmers can practice are:
- Crop selection and management
- Fertilizer management under drought conditions
- How to assess your soil water storage capacity
- Irrigation management when water supplies are short
- Livestock management
The government will also provide an overview of the financial support available to prepare for and reduce the impacts of drought, as well as information about water management under the Water Sustainability Act.
The first Agricultural Water Management Workshops are scheduled for Feb. 15 in Cobble Hill and Feb. 16 in Port Alberni. A workshop in Penticton is also scheduled for Feb. 16 and 17 at the Southern Interior Horticultural Show. The workshops are free, though registration is required. More dates and information can be read online.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food also funds on-farm projects for drought and other extreme-weather events, as well as providing crop insurance and income protection programs to help farms with crop losses and revenue declines.
