March 14, 2007

Canada earmarks US$39.8 million for enhanced feed ban in Alberta

The Government of Canada and the Alberta government are investing nearly $40 million in Alberta's beef industry to help accelerate the elimination of BSE from Alberta's cattle herds.

The Canada-Alberta funding program will help the province's cattle industry comply and adapt to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's enhanced feed ban, which takes effect on July 12, 2007.

George Groeneveld, Minister of Alberta Agriculture and Food, said this program provides Alberta's cattle industry with the support it needs to follow the enhanced federal regulations.

The funds will assist Alberta's cattle industry in removing all specified risk material (SRM) from all animal feeds, pet foods and fertilisers. The program is supported through a 60:40 federal-provincial cost-sharing agreement.

The $19.8 million federal contribution is part of an $80 million commitment to SRM removal programs nation-wide. The province of Alberta's contribution of $20 million went beyond initial funding commitments to offset adaptation costs for the cattle industry and for research into new and innovative technologies that effectively extract value from SRM.

The effective implementation of Canada's enhanced feed ban will ensure the protection of animal health, increase consumer confidence, and strengthen the cattle and beef industry's markets in Canada and abroad.