Alberta is famously a livestock province, renowned for producing some of the world’s best meat. Livestock is also a significant driver of Alberta’s economy, with livestock market receipts totalling almost $12 billion in 2024. For this essential industry to keep growing and thriving, it needs quick, affordable diagnostics and robust disease preparedness.
Beginning with Budget 2025, Alberta’s government is providing the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) with a total of $9.5 million over three years to continue operating a full-service veterinary diagnostic laboratory.
“For almost 30 years, Alberta livestock producers and veterinarians had to send diagnostic samples to Saskatchewan or other provinces to get results. This funding will ensure they can get results much quicker, allowing for faster responses to potential animal health-related threats. In uncertain times, this ensures the safety and wellbeing of our livestock sector and reassures international markets that our animals are healthy and safe for import.”
RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation
UCVM supports local veterinary diagnostics, allowing veterinarians to make accurate diagnoses at competitive prices, which aids in treatment decisions that improve animal health and welfare outcomes. The stable, predictable funding provided in Budget 2025 allows for the UCVM’s Diagnostic Services Unit to plan for the long-term, retain highly skilled staff and continue to expand its services. This will give it an expanded ability to test for more types of infectious organisms and support disease investigations.
This funding will ensure Alberta’s livestock producers and veterinarians have access to in-province diagnostic testing, leading to quicker results at more affordable rates.
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