The federal government has announced funding of $345,720 that will support the Canadian Sheep Federation.
The money will be used to implement the Scrapie Eradication Strategic Plan for the sheep and and goat industries. This project will provide sheep and goat producers with the information and tools necessary to combat scrapie, a fatal disease affecting sheep and goats.
"The Government of Canada is committed to supporting the livestock sector in gaining and maintaining access to markets by leveraging Canada’s reputation for quality and safety." said Member of Parliament for Malpeque, Wayne Easter. "This investment will help ensure that Canadian sheep and goat producers have a plan in place to help meet buyer and market demands."
The project will help mitigate economic losses to sheep and goat producers, reduce the cost of disease control actions, regain market access, and explore new market opportunities.
"I would like to applaud Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for investing in our industry and for partnering with the Canadian Sheep Federation to implement the Scrapie Eradication Strategic Plan," said Canadian Sheep Federation Chairman, Phil Kolodychuk. "Together we can eradicate scrapie from the national sheep flock and goat herd. This program will move the small ruminant industry closer to negligible risk status for scrapie, with a goal of protecting Canadian farmers from disease loses, re-establishing lost markets and creating opportunities for future trade."
Source : Steinbachonline