"The value of government and industry partnership has been evident in our successful response to the avian flu outbreak, and this funding is one more step in that process,” said BC Ariculture Minister Norm Letnick. “By helping BC's impacted poultry farmers recover the cleaning and disinfection expenses they incurred in helping to limit the viruses spread, we're encouraging BC's farmers to continue their hard work in providing local, high-quality foods.”
The funding will come as part of the AgriRecovery and AgriRisk initiatives – risk management tools under Growing Forward 2. More information can be found using the Canada-British Columbia Avian Influenza Assistance Initiative.
"Governments agreed that Growing Forward 2 would be there for farmers in times of unforeseen economic harm,” said Member of Parliament for Langley, Mark Warawa. “These initiatives will help BC poultry producers deal with added costs of resuming business operations, while helping the poultry sector develop insurance options against future outbreaks."
In 2013, BC’s poultry and egg sector contributed about $547 million – nearly 14% of Canada’s poultry and egg farm cash receipts.
As Canada is just beginning the recovery process, the United States is currently combatting avian influenza in many states.
As a result of the current outbreak of avian flu in the USA, the United States Department of Agriculture is researching a vaccine for the virus.
Join the conversation and tell us if avian influenza was something you’ve ever had to overcome on your farm. What measures did you take to ensure the health of your poultry?