A bovine tuberculosis imposed quarantine was lifted on six premises in southern Alberta Dec. 14.
Testing continues on about 45 herds, where 26,000 animals remain under quarantine, said Dr. Harpreet Kochhar, chief veterinary officer for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
No further positive cases have been detected, and the last round of animals that reacted to the tests showed no clinical signs of disease at post mortem inspection, he told reporters.
The quarantines may not be lifted right away once all the cattle have been tested by early January, said Kochhar.
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Further tests done on reactor animals can take eight to 12 weeks because the cultures grow slowly before a positive or negative confirmation is reached, he said.
The federal and Alberta governments are working with producers to deliver compensation to cover expenses through AgriRecovery and the cash advance program. About $16.7 million is available to cover feed costs, corrals and water infrastructure, transportation and disinfection of premises.
“Regarding the situation in Sask-atchewan, government officials continue to monitor the situation. The program is available should the province wish to participate,” said Rosser Lloyd, director general of the business risk management programs directorate with Agriculture Canada.
In addition, animals ordered destroyed by the CFIA are paid for based on a grid formula.
This is separate from the business risk management programs.
About $1.5 million has been paid in compensation, and feedback from producers is being taken into consideration, said Lloyd.
The maximum payment is $4,500 for commercial animals and $10,000 for a purebred when the CFIA orders an animal destroyed.
Work is continuing with producers to determine the fair market value of cattle involved, said Kochhar.
For cows, the evaluation will take into account the age of the animal but does not include the value of the calves that it would have had in the future. The compensation for pregnant cows will be adjusted by $700 per animal, according to Agriculture Canada.
