Possible Case BSE - Canada

[grassfarmer]

Interesting to hear the price difference Kato, yet another example of "free enterprise" Alberta subsidising their producers at a higher rate than their "leftist, welfare loving" neighbours in Sask and Manitoba!Still, as long as the rednecks think they are free enterprise operators as they cash the Gov. cheques the "Alberta advantage" illusion goes on.

Cowman: "The other thing that was good about the Alberta government system of paying $225/animal was it stopped all the scoundrels from paying 10 cents a pound for cows? Now they either pay a floor price or old bossy goes into the program and the coyotes get a free meal!" I think you are describing a program we might have had (The Scott Lees/Bob Church plan) rather than the one we actually have. Plenty of cows have made 10 cents or less as the current plan does not by any means fix a base price. Vets in my experience do not put down things that are not in really poor shape to collect the $225.
Maybe you haven't sold any cows in the last couple of years?

[cowman]

No I haven't sold any cows in the last two years...well one open fat cow and she brought about 27 cents I believe.
However a neighbor did have 5 head put down on the farm and got paid $225 for them? One was only 4 years old and had hurt her hip slipping on the ice!
Had another neighbor who had a four year old bull who threw his stifle out. Took him to the mart and after expenses got $19.00! The vet told him later he should have put him down and he could have got the program money?
At first I thought the vets were playing pretty loose with the rules by taking younger animals but after this latest under age BSE cow I guess they weren't?
As far as Alberta paying $225 compared to $75 why is that a bad thing? Animal health is important and if it takes $225 to get the samples, then thats what it takes? Look at the numbers this program has counted up...look at the results? I guess it accomplished the job?