Ottawa and Saskatchewan come together for vaccine investment

Dec 18, 2014

Pan-Provincial Vaccine Enterprise to develop vaccine against CWD

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

The federal and Saskatchewan provincial governments announced a joint investment to Pan-Provincial Vaccine Enterprise (PREVENT) to help develop a vaccine against Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).

CWD attacks an animal’s brain and is commonly found in alternative livestock (deer, elk, buffalo, wild boar, etc.). Animals in Saskatchewan, Alberta and 22 U.S. states including Colorado, Iowa, and Wyoming are affected by CWD.

An animal infected with the progressive, always fatal, disease could show symptoms ranging from weight loss and listlessness, to decreased animal interaction and when the animal is in the terminal stages, excessive drinking and urination.

Industry estimates deem CWD caused an 85% drop in the alternative livestock market between 2001 and 2011; a new vaccine could help the industry rebound from it.

"This is an important area of research with the potential to address a significant issue facing our cervid producers. Our government is pleased to join the federal government in supporting PREVENT's work toward developing an effective vaccine to control the spread of CWD,” said Lyle Stewart, Minister of Agriculture for Saskatchewan.

There are no reports of humans catching CWD.

The federal government is giving $700,000 through the Research and Development branch of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada`s AgriInnovation Program and will join the province in a $463,000 investment to the Growing Forward 2 Agriculture Development Fund.

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.