Whereas CFIA is responsible for named diseases including Avian Influenza; and

Whereas the RM of Lumsden No. 189 was the site of an outbreak of Avian Influenza in 2007 which created economic and personal hardship; and

Whereas the CFIA did not have sufficient cleaning and disinfectant protocols nor adequate compensation levels in place; and

Whereas there is potential for future hardship from outbreak of named diseases in Saskatchewan;

Be it Resolved that SARM lobby the federal and provincial governments to re-evaluate current cleaning and disinfectant protocols and compensation policies on, not only avian influenza, but all named diseases in CFIA’s mandate. 

Response from Paul Mayers – Associate Vice-President, Programs
Policy and Programs Branch

I appreciate the financial challenges involved when a disease outbreak occurs; however, the CFIA’s ability to remunerate producers is limited to the authority provided by the Health of Animals Act.  As you are aware, the CFIA offers compensation for animals ordered destroyed, up to a maximum established by the Compensation for Destroyed Animals Regulations.  This compensation is based on the market value only and does not include the costs of cleaning and disinfecting, nor compensation for future income losses. 

Beyond the compensation addressed under the Health of Animals Act, the federal government has worked with the provinces to create the business risk management suite of programs managed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada under the new Growing Forward framework.  Costs incurred by the producer for cleanup and disinfection are considered eligible expenses under the AgriStability program and, to the extent that they reduce a producer’s margin, can trigger assistance to help recover these costs. 

I am taking the liberty of forwarding your letter to Mr. Greg Meredith, Assistant Deputy Ministry of Farm Financial Programs at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, who oversees the AgriStability program. 

As part of the CFIA’s preparedness regarding diseases such as avian influenza, the CFIA is committed to working with all levels of government and all producers to raise the level of biosecurity at the farm level to minimize the possibility of a disease outbreak and to limit the impact should one occur.  “Cleaning and disinfection” is one such important intervention.  The CFIA has developed a template for cleaning and disinfection protocols to ensure that effective disinfection can be achieved following an outbreak.  By using the template, which can be requested by contacting local CFIA offices, producers who have been affected by disease can create an individual protocol for their farms.  CFIA staff members are available to provide assistance and guidance to producers, as they did in Saskatchewan in 2007, in the creation of the individual protocol.  Local public health authorities are usually involved in the final approval of the protocol in order to assess its effectiveness relative to the risk to human health of the avian influenza virus.