In February of 2004, Premier Dalton McGuinty announced the $10M Ontario Cull Animal Strategy at the OCA Annual General Meeting. This announcement had two components: a $7 million program for increasing abattoir capacity in the province and a $3 million program to be administered by OCA and managed by the Chairs/Presidents of OCA, Ontario Federation of Agriculture and Dairy Farmers of Ontario, for four general project areas.

The project areas are defined as follows:

ONTARIO CATTLE IDENTIFICATION TAG RETIREMENT

$200,000 to Beef Improvement Ontario for providing national ID services to the Ontario beef industry.

EMERGENCY ANIMAL WELFARE FUND

$500,000 available for supporting the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) with some BSE-related welfare costs. This fund also supported the development of cattle care education resource materials coordinated by the Ontario Farm Animal Council.

DEADSTOCK DISPOSAL

$1.3 million available for disbursement to deadstock collection/ disposal/management by the industry-based Livestock Mortality Recycling Project Steering Committee. Funds also directed to the initial start-up of a Specified Risk Material rendering facility.

COMMERCIAL CULL COW MEAT PRODUCT AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT

$1 million available to expand and diversify national and international markets for commercial meat. Funds are also directed to upgrade the University of Guelph’s Meat Science Laboratory.

In addition to these programs, the OCA has also agreed to hold $1.75 million to be paid into an Industry Development Fund Strategy. These funds, representing 25% grant repayment from the $7 million Mature Animal Abattoir Fund, will be received by the OCA, beginning in 2007. This strategy will involve all ruminant production and processing in developing a three- to five-year vision for the industry.