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Abbotsford’s WestGen donates $100,000 to flood relief efforts

Locally based livestock genetics company gives $100,00 to BCDA’s disaster relief fund
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Abbotsford’s WestGen has donated $100,000 for flood relief efforts in B.C. (WestGen Facebook photo)

Abbotsford’s WestGen has been on the front lines of some of the flood devastation that has hit the Sumas Prairie.

The livestock genetics company took in cows from other farmers whose farms had been flooded early last week, but were then forced to evacuate themselves with help from some of those same farmers.

In that spirit, WestGen announced on Wednesday (Nov. 25) that they will be donating $100,000 to the British Columbia Dairy Association’s disaster relief fund.

“It has been a humbling, emotional and yet inspirational week,” stated WestGen CEO Chris Parry in a press release. “For many, there is a long road ahead to recovery, but the farming community and WestGen will be there to do what we can.”

RELATED: WestGen opens new headquarters in Abbotsford

According to the press release, BC’s Sumas Prairie represents a small geographical piece of the total WestGen territory, but farmers right across the four-province region that WestGen services are donating and offering assistance to their peers.

“The need is great,” stated Richard Boonstoppel, WestGen president. “As a farmer-owned, farmer directed company, this is a donation on behalf of all farmers in western Canada.”

WestGen is located at 1625 Angus Campbell Road on Abbotsford’s Sumas Prairie. The company was originally known as the Lower Fraser Valley Artificial Insemination Association and was established in September 1944 operating in Surrey. Five years later they were renamed the B.C. Artificial Insemination Centre and moved operations to Milner.

The company adopted the WestGen name in 1998 and moved from Milner to its current location in Abbotsford in July 2016.

RELATED: Margarita’s miracle baby – Abbotsford cow gives birth at former home farm



Ben Lypka

About the Author: Ben Lypka

I joined the Abbotsford News in 2015.
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