A program has been announced by the Ontario Minister of Agriculture and Food that will extend assistance to producers beyond the dates of the Canada- Ontario BSE Compensation program and the Ontario Set-Aside program. The intent of Phase 3 is to ensure the long-term competitiveness of Ontario’s beef industry.
The Phase 3 program is comprised of a slaughter component and an advance payment component. The slaughter component is intended to compensate producers who sell their market-ready fed cattle for slaughter. The province has also committed to providing the provincial share of advance payments to Ontario producers who have not been directly assisted by the previous BSE assistance programs.
Program details are currently being developed in consultation with industry. We will circulate details just as soon as they become available.
BSE Help Line
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF) has a toll free BSE Help Line to better meet the information needs of clients affected by the BSE situation in Ontario.
The BSE Help Line gives callers access to a team of OMAF specialists who will be able to offer technical advice to help producers make informed management decisions.
With the addition of the new BSE Help Line, farmers now have three direct lines they can call to get answers to their BSE-related questions.
- The BSE Help Line at 1 888 292-5856 for technical inquiries
- The Canada Ontario Recovery Program at 1 877 838-5144 for compensation package inquiries
- The Farm Line, at 1 888 451-2903, for confidential stress counselling
Canada Ontario BSE Recovery Program
**BSE Information Available On The OMAF Website**
There is a lot of good information on the OMAF website that is being updated regularly. Information can be found by going to the OMAF home page and then clicking on “BSE Recovery Program” and “BSE-Mad Cow.”
The OMAF website address is www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA
~Bryan Boyle~