The National Farmers Union is urging the federal government's Agriculture Minister and two provincial counterparts to provide immediate relief to cattle farmers affected by a quarantine.
Bovine Tuberculosis was discovered in six Alberta animals.
The NFU says farm families in Alberta and Saskatchewan are suffering undue stress and financial hardship due to the quarantine.
Board member Glenn Norman says farmers are caring for cattle well beyond the expected sell time. It's a double hit for farmers because they are paying out for the care and not recouping money through sales.
Even though it's expected the CFIA will eventually provide compensation, the NFU says it takes time for an agri-recovery response to be worked out and relief is needed now.
Thursday, Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay announced producers experiencing extraordinary costs due to bovine tuberculosis quarantine measures will be eligible for financial assistance under the AgriRecovery Framework.
In the meantime, producers are accessing immediate help to address cash flow pressures through the Advance Payments Program. where producers are eligible for an advance up to $400,000, with the first $100,000 being interest free.
