'Our crop is contaminated': B.C. vegetable crops destroyed by floodwaters
Gurdip Khaira looks over one of his 20-acre fields of broccoli, but all he sees is water.
He says the crop was finally ready to harvest when it was swallowed up by floodwaters.
“(We’re) just depressed, (but) what can we do?” Khaira said.
At a nearby field, acre after acre of cabbage is going to waste.
The same is true for Brussels sprouts.
“Our crop is contaminated. It starts to rot and we can’t harvest,” explained vegetable-grower Opinder Bhatti.
“We were depressed. We were not expecting that much water or dirty water,” he added.
The Fraser Valley Cole Crop Association estimates crops in about 500 acres of fields have been destroyed.
Preliminary estimates put the loss of produce at 3,800 tonnes.
“We have advised all growers that any fields where the product has not been harvested and the field flooded, those fields are to be considered contaminated and the crop will remain in the ground.” said Murray Driediger, president of BC Fresh.
Vegetables in storage facilities that were flooded must also be tossed out.
Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun says he’s seen the damage first-hand.
“I am concerned about the farmers that weren’t able to harvest their cole crops and they’re going to be without revenue,” he said.
Khaira said farmers have “suffered a lot.”
“We’re definitely going to need some financial assistance,” he said.
The Ministry of Agriculture says the provincial and federal governments have committed to work together and are “listening intently to those impacted” and planning to provide support.
This includes developing an AgriRecovery program with its key focus on “helping producers through the assessment and recovery phases.”
The province says it’s also allowing late participation in the AgriStability program for 2021.
But growers say they need the funding now if they are to survive.
“We cannot harvest,” said Bhatti. “We have lots of bills to pay. The land rent, the seeds.”
BC Fresh says substantial testing of water and soil is being done to make sure the ground is suitable for the next crops, which start getting planted in March. Tests of vegetables in flooded storage facilities have so far come back negative.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture says damage from flooding is still being assessed, making it difficult to know if prices for produce in grocery stores will be affected.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
Some Canadian families will receive up to $620 per child today
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
Ontario woman loses $15,000 to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.