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For immediate release July 29, 2008 NEWS RELEASE Compensation for Ranchers Needs to Be Timelier The British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association is pleased that BC cattle producers affected by the bovine tuberculosis quarantines that were imposed last September will now receive compensation. Today, the Federal Minister of Agriculture & Agri-food, Gerry Ritz and BC Minister of Agriculture & Lands, Stan Hagen, announced $186,000 to mitigate some of the unexpected costs that cattle producers were confronted with during the TB quarantines last fall. Included in this amount is an ad hoc payment of $25,000 provided by the Province earlier this year which provided an injection of cash flow and prevented animals from going hungry as well as ranchers from going broke. BC Cattlemen’s Association President and rancher from Vanderhoof, Roland Baumann explains, “This announced assistance will pay for additional costs to producers, like feeding market animals through a quarantine and clean-up of the index farm.” Baumann continues to say, “We have to work with the provincial and federal government to simplify how ranchers are compensated particularly how quickly the funding can be provided and how transparent the process needs to be.” Last fall the ranching community of Vanderhoof was hit hard when 32 farms were placed under quarantine by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency after a mature bull was found to have Bovine Tuberculosis. The quarantines were put in place in September, at a time when ranchers typically send their animals to market and collect their annual source of income. These quarantines meant that animals were kept on the home ranches and feed had to be purchased to keep them over winter. Compensation through Agri-Recovery is just now being made available, 10 months later. The BC Cattlemen’s Association would like to see compensation made available to match the timeliness of the need. This situation put a tremendous strain on the affected ranching families. The Association will be approaching our provincial counterparts along with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association for their support as we try to streamline the delivery of compensation payments to agriculture producers, particularly during times of disaster or crisis. For more than 80 years, the Association has represented the interests of beef cattle producers in British Columbia and continues to work on issues affecting the beef cattle industry on behalf of our almost 1,300 rancher members. -end- Contact: Roland Baumann, President P (250) 567-5033 Elaine Stovin, Communications Coordinator P (250) 573-3611
For immediate release July 29, 2008
NEWS RELEASE Compensation for Ranchers Needs to Be Timelier
The British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association is pleased that BC cattle producers affected by the bovine tuberculosis quarantines that were imposed last September will now receive compensation.
Today, the Federal Minister of Agriculture & Agri-food, Gerry Ritz and BC Minister of Agriculture & Lands, Stan Hagen, announced $186,000 to mitigate some of the unexpected costs that cattle producers were confronted with during the TB quarantines last fall. Included in this amount is an ad hoc payment of $25,000 provided by the Province earlier this year which provided an injection of cash flow and prevented animals from going hungry as well as ranchers from going broke.
BC Cattlemen’s Association President and rancher from Vanderhoof, Roland Baumann explains, “This announced assistance will pay for additional costs to producers, like feeding market animals through a quarantine and clean-up of the index farm.” Baumann continues to say, “We have to work with the provincial and federal government to simplify how ranchers are compensated particularly how quickly the funding can be provided and how transparent the process needs to be.”
Last fall the ranching community of Vanderhoof was hit hard when 32 farms were placed under quarantine by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency after a mature bull was found to have Bovine Tuberculosis. The quarantines were put in place in September, at a time when ranchers typically send their animals to market and collect their annual source of income. These quarantines meant that animals were kept on the home ranches and feed had to be purchased to keep them over winter.
Compensation through Agri-Recovery is just now being made available, 10 months later. The BC Cattlemen’s Association would like to see compensation made available to match the timeliness of the need. This situation put a tremendous strain on the affected ranching families.
The Association will be approaching our provincial counterparts along with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association for their support as we try to streamline the delivery of compensation payments to agriculture producers, particularly during times of disaster or crisis.
For more than 80 years, the Association has represented the interests of beef cattle producers in British Columbia and continues to work on issues affecting the beef cattle industry on behalf of our almost 1,300 rancher members.
-end-
Contact: Roland Baumann, President P (250) 567-5033 Elaine Stovin, Communications Coordinator P (250) 573-3611
