On April 24, 2023, British Columbia’s Lieutenant Governor, following the advice of the Minister of Agriculture and Food, enacted Order in Council 251/2023. This order introduced significant updates to the Farm Income Plans Regulation, B.C. Reg. 123/2004, which governs the financial support available to farmers in the province. The primary change involved an amendment to Section 3 (1) of the regulation, which replaced the previous paragraphs (f) and (g) with new provisions. These revisions align the regulation with recent federal agreements concerning agricultural support programs.

Previously, paragraphs (f) and (g) detailed the terms of the AgriStability and AgriInvest programs, both essential for helping farmers manage financial risks and stabilize their income. AgriStability provides aid to offset losses caused by factors such as market volatility or environmental conditions, while AgriInvest supports farmers with cash flow management and operational investments. The updated regulation now specifies that the terms for these programs are based on two key agreements:

For the AgriStability Program:

• • • Annex A of Part III of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, signed on January 2, 2018, which establishes the foundational policy framework.
    • Annex A of Part III of the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, signed on March 14, 2023, which updates the framework to reflect current agricultural priorities.
      

Similarly, for the AgriInvest Program:

• • • Annex A of Part III of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, continuing from the 2018 agreement.
    • Annex A of Part III of the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, with updates from the 2023 agreement.
      

These amendments aim to support British Columbia’s support programs by keeping them in line with the latest federal and provincial agricultural policies. 

Source: British Columbia (107/2023) April 25, 2023