Planting the seeds for a sustainable future - City of Kamloops

Trespassing; andClimate change.Due to global warming, it is predicted that weather throughout BC will generally become warmer year-round, wetter in winter,and drier in summer. The impact of these changes on agricultural production is specific to the various climatic regions. Ingeneral, the potential for crop production in this region would likely be increased due to a higher potential for crop yieldresulting from more favorable climatic conditions, an expanded range over which some crops can be grown, and theintroduction of new, higher-value crops. The degree to which this increased potential for crop production can be realized will beprimarily dependent on the availability of water. The predicted climate change will enhance production where crops can beirrigated; however, limitations to the supply of irrigation water may seriously affect productivity. Where irrigation is notfeasible, productivity may increase slightly, remain the same, or decrease and would be very sensitive to actual rainfalldistributions during the growing season. Considerable areas of land suitable for agricultural production are currently not in usein some regions due to lack of necessary infrastructure and increased costs associated with distant markets. Climate changemay increase the land in agricultural production; however, the area currently in production is controlled primarily by economicrather than climatic considerations. Increased demand on existing water supplies from agricultural and non-agricultural usersis expected to occur throughout British Columbia.16. Pressure for Non-agricultural Developments on Agricultural LandsDevelopers often focus on agricultural lands due to their lower cost. Resort developments and golf course proposals typicallyinvolve a residential component to be viable and as a result the agricultural potential is almost always impacted in a negativeway. Care needs to be taken when reviewing such proposals to determine if they are speculator driven or truly have a positiveagricultural benefit.SECURE FOOD SUPPLY AND PUBLIC AWARENESSThe majority of agricultural products produced in the region are typically shipped out for further finishing or sale. This appliesto the cattle industry where most calves and yearlings raised in Kamloops are shipped to Alberta for further finishing andeventual return through our retail food stores and restaurants. A few other examples include commodities such as milk,ginseng and other horticultural crops (e.g. potatoes and onions). These farms are often not well known or visited by localconsumers but they should be recognized as a critical component to a secure food supply.HighPriorityCITY OF KAMLOOPS 56