VICTORIA — British Columbia has extended the deadline to apply for recovery help for farmers hit by last fall's devastating floods.

A statement from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food says farmers whose lands were damaged during torrential rains in November 2021 that caused washouts and flooding now have until Aug. 31 to apply for assistance.

The previous application deadline for the federally and provincially funded program was June 1.

The Canada-BC Flood Recovery for Food Security Program aids farmers who lost livestock and crops by offsetting the costs of returning to production.

It provides reimbursement of uninsured expenses for everything from cleanup of lands, barns, water and waste systems to renting temporary production facilities, replacing some perennial plants and paying vets or mortality disposal crews.

The statement says processing of claims will continue after the deadline and farmers can continue submitting documents outlining their expenses after the program closes at the end of August.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 25, 2022.

The Canadian Press