A weekly report prepared by the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). If you require further information, regarding this report, call the Elora Resource Centre at 519-846-0941. Office hours: 8:30am to 4:30pm. For technical information, call the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or visit the OMAFRA website: www.ontario.ca/omafra.
BARN FIRES COST ONTARIO FARMERS MORE THAN $25 MILLION PER YEAR
Do you know what to do in the event of a farm emergency? Do you know what to do if you have deadstock to manage?
Barn fires, natural disasters, equipment failures and diseases are devastating events for farmers, their families and workers, and the neighbouring community. Planning ahead to reduce risks, and preventing accidents with a safe operation will help to protect employees, family members and animals.
Emergency events can cause substantial loss to a farm operation and create unique challenges for farmers, including disposing of large volumes of deadstock. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has a regulation (ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r09106) that gives you options for deadstock management. These options help to protect water quality, reduce environmental impacts and minimize biosecurity hazards, such as scavenging.
Collection of deadstock by a licensed collector is recognized as the most effective and sustainable disposal method.
In emergency situations, you can apply to OMAFRA for an Emergency Authorization for the storage, disposal or transportation of deadstock. These authorizations can be used when emergency conditions exist that make it difficult for you to dispose of deadstock according to the regulation.
OMAFRA works with the province’s farmers, commodity groups, insurance companies, municipalities and trucking companies to ensure that deadstock is disposed of as soon as possible. In granting an exemption, OMAFRA considers the various factors of the situation, such as:
– the urgency of the situation;
– the number of animals to be disposed;
– biosecurity risks;
– time of year;
– the condition of the deadstock; and
– site conditions, including proximity to tile drains, location of surface water and wells, and depth to groundwater.
Planning ahead can help alleviate some of the stress during an emergency. Our web page found at ontario.ca/farmsafety has useful resources for farm owners, including information on preventative maintenance for farm buildings and our book, “Reducing the Risk of Fire on Your Farm” (ontario.ca/chqs). We encourage you to develop a contingency plan for emergency situations. Visit ontario.ca/deadstock for information on contingency deadstock planning and the regulation.
For help with managing deadstock in an emergency situation, you can contact an OMAFRA environmental specialist or engineer in your region (www.nutrientmanagement.ca/nutman/assets/File/IEPDNMcontacts_02-29-2016.pdf), or the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca.
COMING EVENTS
April 15 – Deadline to apply for a Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence is April 15, 2016. For more information, please contact the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca.
April 15 to 17 – Green Living Show, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building, 255 Front Street West, Toronto, Ontario. For more information, please visit the website http://www.greenlivingshow.ca/.
