Canada will provide US$24,000 grant for livestock inspections

The Alberta government in Canada announced Wednesday (Feb 17) it will cover the cost of livestock inspections for ranchers who graze their herds out of province.

It is a first step in a provincial effort to cut costs and regulations that add unnecessary costs and reduce competitiveness in the cattle industry.

Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development is providing a CAD25,000 (US$24,000) grant to cover the cost of inspecting livestock which temporarily move into Saskatchewan and British Columbia for the grazing season which starts in April.

''Providing this CAD25,000 grant is one small step of many that we need to take to reduce the regulatory burden for our producers,'' said Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Jack Hayden in a statement.

The grant goes to Livestock Identification Services, a private, not-for-profit company, which inspects brands in Alberta. It charges a dollar fee to producers whenever cattle or horses leave the province.

About 25,000 head of cattle move between the provinces for seasonal grazing on land that may be larger, less expensive or greener than at home.

''What we've been trying to do is reduce the regulatory burden on producers when it comes to pay for a lot of the regulations,'' said Cliff Munroe, director of Alberta Agriculture's regulatory services division.