When the B.C. Liberal government's 2016 budget was brought in, the province introduced the Farmers' Food Donation Tax Credit.
Local residents, who use food banks and school lunch programs, will now have greater access to healthy, local food that has been donated by their neighbours, says Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett.
“The Farmers’ Food Donation Tax Credit gives our local farmers recognition and another incentive to distribute their products in a socially responsible way," Barnett says, adding this program will put even more of the region’s world-class agricultural products on more tables.
The tax credit, worth 25 per cent of the fair market value, is available to individuals and corporations that carry on the business of farming and donate a qualifying agricultural product to a registered charity.
The agricultural products include meat products, eggs or dairy products, fish, seafood, fruits, vegetables, grains, pulses, herbs, honey, maple syrup, mushrooms, nuts or other produce that has been grown, raised or harvested on a farm in B.C.
The farmers have always been generous, long before food banks existed," Rod Hennecker, Community Enhancement and Economic Development Society (C.E.E.D.S.) spokesperson says.
"We've allowed people to glean, preserve and dry to take advantage of crops and other areas."
The tax break is for the next three years after which the government will review the program. However, Hennecker wonders if the government will cut it after the review.
"I hate to look a gift horse in the mouth, but the fact is food banks exist.
"There is an over reliance by the government on food banks. It's shameful and this encourages the use of them."
