The RCMP has launched an official investigation into a case involving missing cattle at four feeder co-ops in southeastern Saskatchewan.
From 1,200 to 1,500 head belonging to the Prosperity Cattle, Hilltop Beef, Cutarm Valley and Valley Livestock cattle co-ops are unaccounted for, said sgt. John Hodgson, of the RCMP’s Moosomin, Sask.
detachment.
Hodgson is working his way through a stack of livestock loan guarantee documents he received from Saskatchewan Agriculture to determine how many cattle are missing and to whom they belong.
The Livestock Loan Guarantee program was introduced by the Saskatchewan government in 1984. It gives groups of farmers access to credit at favorable rates with limited collateral. The government is using it to promote the cow-calf industry in Saskatchewan.
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Institutions that lend money to feeder or breeder associations are protected by a producer-funded assurance fund and a government guarantee that the province will pay 25 percent of the association’s outstanding loans if a loss should occur.
Kirk Sinclair, a livestock dealer from Moosomin, pegs the value of the missing livestock from the four cattle co-ops in excess of $1 million, which would mean the government’s potential exposure is about $250,000.
Hodgson said he expects to start the investigation this week.
Moosomin MLA Don Toth said he doesn’t envy Hodgson.
“There’s more questions than there are answers. The understanding I have is there wasn’t a lot of paperwork, which is going to make it very difficult.”
Toth said the one question that keeps cropping up on coffee row is how could such a large amount of money be guaranteed by the government without some bureaucrat making sure it is properly spent.
