Owners of all 650,000 Alberta animals that were in a feedlot as of May 20, when the borders closed to Canadian cattle, have received some provincial assistance, said Alberta Agriculture officials in announcing the end of the province’s third BSE assistance program.
“We’ve fully met our commitment to industry and moved significantly more animals through the system,” said Alberta agriculture minister Shirley McClellan in a News release
news.
Under the three programs, the $460 million Canada-Alberta Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Recovery Program, the $65 million Alberta Fed Cattle Competitive Bid Program and the Alberta Fed Cattle Competitive Market Adjustment Program, which had no price tag attached, more than 700,000 Alberta feedlot animals have been covered by at least one of the three compensation programs.
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The Alberta government ended the latter program abruptly Sept. 12.
When the program was announced Aug. 22, government officials didn’t attach a program cost or end date, in an attempt to stop the flood of cattle to slaughter plants by producers wanting to get in on government money.
The original News release
news said the program would last longer.
“The program will begin Aug. 25, 2003, and is intended to continue until the U.S. announces border opening to live cattle,” it said.
While feedlot operators had most of their cattle covered, Alberta New Democrats are calling for a similar program to cover losses for background and cow-calf operations.
Brian Mason, ND deputy leader, said government money hasn’t been funnelled down to smaller producers.
“It’s the smaller mom-and-pop operations that need the support. Fall is the time they all take their cattle to market,” said Mason.
He had no clear plan how a cow-calf program would work, but as bills continue to roll in, it’s urgent a program be designed immediately.
“Time is very important.”
