Alberta is the only province to ramp up BSE testing since a national surveillance program was announced Sept. 20.
The Alberta program will cost about $400 per animal and is over and above what will be spent under the Canadian Food Inspection Agency program.
The Alberta plan pays $150 with a top-up from CFIA for a potential payout of up to $225 per sample.
Payments will be made after labs receive eligible samples.
In Alberta, samples may be collected at provincially inspected abattoirs, farms, rendering facilities, veterinary diagnostic laboratories or veterinary clinics. Farmers should not attempt to collect samples themselves.
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“We suspect most of the animals will surface on the farm,” said Lloyd Andruchow, head of program policy with Alberta Agriculture.
Producers with suspect cattle may contact a veterinarian or CFIA inspector to make sure they are eligible.
Alberta veterinarians are being trained to identify the type of animals eligible for the program, which could produce as many as 30,000 samples.
Tests should take 72 hours.
Producers will receive results from CFIA, Alberta Agriculture or their veterinarian.
Veterinarians are eligible for reimbursement costs for time and travel not covered under the federal program.
Provincial abattoirs will receive $75 per animal to offset their cost of holding carcasses and offal until test results are available.
Renderers will be reimbursed under a separate arrangement with the CFIA or under their previous arrangement with Alberta Agriculture for BSE surveillance. Under provincial programs, renderers receive $50 per sample to offset the costs of holding carcasses pending test results from October to May each year.
Alberta’s minimum target for testing is 2,780 for 2004 and 10,425 for following years. An additional 1,200 need to be tested this year to meet the 2004 target.
Manitoba met its testing target this year by testing more than 900 animals through a $400,000 program to help cattle producers remove deadstock.
British Columbia agriculture minister John van Dongen said the province will let the CFIA handle surveillance, but the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association thinks more is needed to remove and test cull animals.
“We want to see a proactive program dealing with (at-risk) animals, perhaps even on the farm,” said association spokesperson David Borth.
The province has limited processing capacity and handling older animals and specified risk materials is a problem.
As well, because many ranches are in isolated areas, old animals must travel further to slaughter, leading to animal welfare concerns.
“People don’t want to sell their cows at 20 cents (per pound) but they might be interested if we had something to assist them to get their old cows off their farms with some money,” Borth said.
Saskatchewan officials were to meet Sept. 29 to discuss the province’s role in the program.
