Prairie provinces move to address veterinary shortages

There's a growing concern over the need for more veterinarians in rural areas, especially for large animals.

The challenge is not only trying to get people involved in the industry, but also in trying to get them to set up their practice in rural areas and focus on livestock production.

Manitoba has announced plans to address their shortage of rural vets.

The government has reached an agreement with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) at the University of Saskatchewan to include another five students from Manitoba for 2023-24.

Under the new agreement, the province is increasing its funding contribution to WCVM by $539,200 for the 2023-24 academic year to a total of over $7 million in annual funding.

Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson says the overall goal is to address the critical shortage of veterinarians providing care for commercial livestock and poultry operations in rural Manitoba.