Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Western Canada Ranchers Fear Going 'Broke by Spring' as Disease Spreads

Ranchers in western Canada whose herds are under quarantine due to the spread of bovine tuberculosis told federal legislators on Tuesday that they desperately need to sell cattle or collect compensation to avoid financial disaster. Ranchers who raise calves typically sell them in autumn to feedlots, where they are fattened to slaughter weight. But some ranchers are absorbing the cost of feeding calves longer due to quarantines by the Canadian government on 34 farms in southeast Alberta and two farms in southwest Saskatchewan. The federal Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed six cases of Alberta cattle with bovine TB, dating back to the September discovery of an infected cow at a U.S. slaughter plant. "The feed costs are going to destroy us," said rancher Ross White, speaking by video to Canada's agriculture committee meeting in Ottawa. "...I'll be broke by spring."...more

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