The owners of the farm at the centre of Canada’s most recent bovine tuberculosis outbreak said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency can’t manage its own protocols and requires a new process for such situations.
Erin Sawley, who operates East Point Cattle Co. near Melville, with her husband, Shane, said they followed proper procedures after a positive case was discovered, but she understands why others might not want to.
She told the House of Commons agriculture committee earlier this month that Canada’s disease control system relies on producers to do the right thing to ensure food safety and maintain market confidence, but producers are left on their own “facing rigid procedures, limited opportunities for discretion from CFIA staff and an entirely insufficient level of communication.”
“In our experience, the CFIA is not equipped to manage its own protocols effectively and its policies lack the flexibility needed to respond to real world challenges,” she said.
Their herd of more than 2,000 head was destroyed after the February 2025 order, yet they still don’t know what compensation they will receive. The strain of bovine TB had never before been detected and its source remains unknown.
In June, federal agriculture minister Heath MacDonald announced the maximum value per animal would go up, from $10,000 per registered head to $16,500 and from $4,500 to $10,000 for commercial animals. However, Sawley said market prices continue to rise and those values may soon be out of date.
She suggested CFIA use a model with more flexibility rather than set prices.
“We’re 304 days in and we have no idea what our compensation is going to look like,” Sawley said in response to a question.
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