As news of the sixth and seventh confirmed on-farm case of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus was announced (as of February 5, 2014), the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association is urging farmers to make use of a special biosecurity intake for farmers impacted by the devastating disease.
The biosecurity intake runs from now until March 13, 2014, and is funded through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Growing Forward 2 program. Farms must first be set up as a designated premises; once that’s done each premises ID is potentially eligible for up to $20,000 in funding on a cost-share basis. Eligible costs may be disposing of deadstock or modifications to handling facilities, for example. Costs may have been incurred as far back as April 1, 2013.
Farrowing operations are eligible for up to $20,000 in cost-shared funding; feeder or finishing operations (without any farrowing on premises) are eligible for up to $5,000 of cost-share funding. Licensed swine transport companies and other associated businesses may also access funding.
Click here for more information or to apply.
