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From YouTube: FEBRUARY 22 2022 Statements Ian Paton
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
3rd Session
42nd Parliament
A
A
I
know
as
a
former
dairy
farmer
myself,
I
know
firsthand
the
mental
and
physical
strength
it
takes
to
provide
food
for
our
communities
day
in
and
day
out,
but
it
isn't
always
easy,
mr
speaker,
let's
utilize
this
day
to
not
only
celebrate
canadian
agriculture
but
to
reflect
on
the
many
challenges
facing
this
industry
when
the
heat
dome
took
place
in
bc.
Last
summer,
rising
temperatures
took
a
huge
toll
on
our
tree
fruit,
industry
and
our
livestock
industry.
A
A
What
followed
last
year
was
an
atmospheric
river
which
dealt
another
devastating
blow
to
farmers
and
ranchers
across
abbotsford
chilliwack
merit
and
princeton.
Despite
the
devastation
farmers
pulled
together
to
lend
a
helping
hand
to
those
who
needed
it.
Most
community
volunteers,
gurdwaras
the
neighbors,
pulled
together
many
resources
to
help
farmers
in
their
time
of
need.
Now
that
the
agri-recovery
package
has
finally
been
announced,
farmers
can
begin
to
rebuild
their
homes,
barns
equipment
and
crops.
So
how
can
we
celebrate
these
amazing
people
who
have
had
to
endure
so
much?
A
Let's
start
by
visiting
our
local
farmers
markets
and
let's
check
the
tags
on
bags
and
packaging
in
the
grocery
store.
If
it's
vegetables,
beef,
poultry,
dairy
or
even
wine,
let's
be
sure
to
check
that
it's
a
product
of
british
columbia,
mr
speaker,
farming
and
ranching
are
risky
ventures.
Input
costs
are
extremely
high,
costs
of
production
are
going
up,
farm
labor
is
becoming
scarce
and
every
growing
season
in
bc
is
at
the
mercy
of
mother
nature
from
the
hashtag
agriculture.