Animal disease prevention program opens for applications

B.C. farms will be more resilient to animal diseases, such as avian influenza, swine fever, and foot-and-mouth disease, with support from a $5-million provincial grant program now open for applications.

The Farmed Animal Disease Program will help B.C. livestock industries prepare for the risk of animal diseases on farms, ranches or facilities by supporting planning, acquisition of equipment for disease response, training exercises, and the research and implementation of strategies that reduce the risk of infection and disease transfer, such as enhanced biosecurity or vaccination.

B.C. livestock organizations are eligible to apply to the program to support cohesive planning, response, prevention and mitigation. The grant program is being delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC with program details, applications and criteria available online.

The program complements other recent provincial efforts to support animal health in B.C., including plans to build a new animal health centre in the Fraser Valley, and permanently double the number of subsidized B.C. veterinarian students at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan.