Farmers can still tap into a federal-provincial program that pays the cost of an on-site consultation with a veterinarian to assess and improve their on-farm food safety, traceability and biosecurity strategies, a Manitoba government release says.
More than 150 Manitoba beef producers have already participated in the project, Beef Herd Biosecurity Assessment program, in which producers are eligible for two herd visits from a consulting veterinarian, a minimum of nine months apart.
The consultations are designed to help producers expand their knowledge about:
On-farm food safety:
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-using proper treatment protocols for specific
diseases, -following labels and prescriptions including withdrawal
times, and -monitoring animal health effectively.
Biosecurity:
-reducing herd exposure to
disease,
-improving herd health and
immunity to disease, and -improving risk management of animal diseases.
Traceability.
-improving identification of
animals on farms; -developing mechanisms
to record livestock movements; and
-identifying and registering livestock premises with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives. Dairy farmers are also
reminded they are eligible for support for veterinary assessments of their herds for Johne’s disease, a contagious, chronic and sometimes fatal infection that primarily affects the small intestine of ruminants.
Through the federal-provincial Growing Forward Food Safety Suite, dairy producers can access up to $500 to help pay veterinary fees arising from the inspection and assessment of their dairy herd.
More information on both programs is available from members of the Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association and Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives GO offices.
