B.C.鈥檚 agriculture minister estimates thousands of livestock have perished in the aftermath of the flooding in B.C.
In an Emergency Management B.C. briefing Wednesday (Nov. 17), Minister Lana Popham said hundreds of farms have been affected.
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As for the livestock, she said, there are 鈥渢housands that have perished.鈥� Popham added there will also be livestock that will have to be euthanized.
In the last couple of days, Popham said the ministry has made 鈥�300 contacts,鈥� with different associations and farmers directly. She said she鈥檚 been able to FaceTime with some of the farmers.
鈥淪ome of them are in their barns and some of them are flooded and you can see the animals that are deceased.鈥�
Popham said the ministry is developing routes so that veterinarians can access farms and get to animals 鈥渁s soon as possible.鈥� She added some of the animals are in 鈥渃ritical need鈥� for food in the next 24 hours.
Currently, there are several groups on Facebook dedicated to helping livestock in the Fraser Valley, including .
Posts on social media show people using boats to direct cows to safety through the flooding.
Swimming Cows, as desperate farmers try to save their livestock
鈥� Cory (@Cory382236879)
Severe rains have flooded Merritt, Hope and Abbotsford BC (Canada) destroying highways and cutting off entire cities from the rest of the province (rail and road)
鈥淚 know that people have seen the rescue attempts,鈥� Popham said. 鈥淔armers are desperate to move their animals.鈥�
She noted that while the government isn鈥檛 encouraging those methods, 鈥渨e understand why that happens.鈥�
But Popham said for some of the animals that were moved through the water, they鈥檙e 鈥渘ot in good shape by the time they get there.鈥�
A senior protection officer with the says 鈥渋t鈥檚 horrific鈥� what is happening to livestock in
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Due to the road closures the BC SPCA is on standby to help 鈥渁nd it鈥檚 changing minute by minute,鈥� said Eileen Drever, senior protection officer and stakeholder relations.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 go in and remove any livestock. We鈥檙e here to help any farmers that need assistance, but until the roads are clear, we can鈥檛 really do anything.鈥�
Drever said it鈥檚 鈥渞eally, really frustrating.鈥�
鈥淲e want to help. It鈥檚 really, really unfortunate. My heart goes out to the farmers and the animals. It鈥檚 horrific.鈥�
But Drever said the BC SPCA needs direction from the .
鈥淚f they want us to assist, we can go in and assist in any way we can,鈥� she noted. 鈥淏ut up until that time, we need direction.鈥�
As for the agriculture industry, B.C. Dairy Association board chair Holger Schwichtenberg said 鈥渢hat鈥檚 too early to call.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e still sorting it out, what happened the last two days and trying to get as many animals safe and sound and on dry ground and taken care of,鈥� said Schwichtenberg, a dairy farmer himself who took in 45 cows from Sumas Prairie on Tuesday.
鈥淲e鈥檒l have to see how the next five or six days unfold, will the tanker trucks being able to pick up milk again, can they even get through to us, are the roads passable, can the processors accept it? I mean, there鈥檚 a lot of things that we need to get sorted out but we鈥檒l do our best to get everything back to normal as soon as we can.鈥�
lauren.collins@surreynowleader.com
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