Deadline for federal cull animal program extended to March 12th

OTTAWA, March 1, 2004 - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada today announced that, following discussions with provincial governments, the deadline for producers to register their herd inventories for the Cull Animal Program has been extended.
The registration deadline has been extended to March 12, 2004, in all provinces except Ontario, where the deadline is March 31, 2004.
The Cull Animal Program is open to Canadian producers of cattle and other ruminant animals affected by border closures. Producers must register their herds in order to receive payments under the program.
However, in cases where producers have already registered their herds with provincial administrators, the data they provided will be used for calculating program payments - there is no need for these producers to register again.
The deadline extension follows Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Bob Speller’s announcement on February 16, 2004, that the original requirement for producers to have animals sold for slaughter before receiving payments had been removed. With full federal-provincial cost-sharing, the program will now pay cattle producers a flat rate of up to $320 per eligible animal. A comparable program is being offered to producers of other ruminants affected by border closures.
The deadline extension ensures that producers who have not yet registered their herds have the opportunity to participate in the program.
The Cull Animal Program is a national program delivered on a provincial basis. Similar provincial programs may have different deadlines, which producers should confirm with provincial administrators.
For further information on the Cull Animal Program and to register their herds, producers should use the following contact information:

*In Manitoba, contact the local Manitoba Crop Insurance Corporation office or visit the Web site at www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture
*In Ontario, visit the Web site at www.gov.on.ca/OMAF