Government of Canada working with British Columbia on avian flu surveillance

Dec 22, 2015

Approximately $300,000 being invested into detection and response

In an attempt to better prepare for a potential avian flu outbreak, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is partnering with the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture to strengthen avian flu surveillance, detection and response.

Upwards of $300,000 will be invested into new equipment that’ll be used to diagnose samples obtained by the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture. Funding will also be provided to ensure rapid responses should an outbreak occur and owners of small poultry flocks will be asked to attend workshops on subjects including poultry health.

The investment into avian flu surveillance comes after B.C.’s Fraser Valley experienced an outbreak in December 2014, resulting in more than 140,000 birds being destroyed; and seven countries including the United States, Japan, Mexico and China temporarily banning poultry imports from the province or Canada entirely.

Statistics Canada reports that in 2014, British Columbia produced 103,899 chickens and 2,727 turkeys. The total combined value of the two birds was $418,256.

Avian flu isn’t the only item Canada and B.C. are working together on.

The province’s agri-food industry will receive $900,000 to be split between 16 new projects aimed at supporting innovation and technology in the sector.

Funded projects include testing a foliar spray to reduce premature fruit drop and testing a bird control product to protect cherries, grapes and berries.

“The British Columbia agriculture industry is always looking for new ways to remain competitive,” said Norm Letnick, B.C. Minister of Agriculture. “With this funding support, the projects will benefit the entire sector while assisting them in earning more dollars.”

Join the discussion and tell us your thoughts on the investment into B.C.’s agriculture and agri-food sectors.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.