November 29, 2013
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan dairy producers will benefit from research aimed at increasing production and improving animal health, thanks to federal funding announced today by Brad Trost, Member of Parliament for Saskatoon—Humboldt, on behalf of the Honourable Michelle Rempel, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification.
“Our Government is committed to ensuring Western Canada’s agricultural sector has the resources to succeed in the global economy and continue creating jobs for Canadians,” said MP Trost. “We are proud to invest in new technologies that strengthen the productivity and competitiveness of the western Canadian dairy industry.”
An investment of $50,000 under the Western Diversification Program will be used by the Saskatchewan Milk Marketing Board (SaskMilk) to purchase equipment needed to develop a vaccine for heel wart, a highly infectious condition that occurs in cattle. Also known as bovine digital dermatitis, this disease significantly decreases dairy and beef production and results in approximately $50 million in losses to the Canadian industry every year.
“We are very pleased with this federal funding,” said Mel Foth, Chairman of SaskMilk. “This is an excellent opportunity to develop a vaccine that will address a key barrier to dairy productivity, and would significantly improve animal health and longevity, as well as increase industry revenue. We are adding our financial commitment to this project as well and look forward to continued partnerships that result in research and industry growth.”
Equipment to be purchased includes a bacterial incubator, equipment for DNA amplification before sequencing, refrigerated bench top centrifuge, refrigerated micro centrifuge for sample processing and freezers for sample storage. The equipment will be installed in a laboratory at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). Scientists from the University of Saskatchewan will use the equipment to produce two prototype vaccines for further testing, with the expectation that one will be patented and commercialized. The commercialization of this new vaccine will create jobs within the dairy and beef industries and the research community.
SaskMilk is a producer marketing board which designs and implements dairy policies and programs for the benefit of producers and other industry stakeholders. As an industry association within Saskatchewan, they meet the needs of producer members to build the dairy market, meet provincial regulation and address industry issues collectively.
Since 2006, the Harper Government, through WD, has invested in job-creating small- and medium-sized businesses, aerospace, marine and defence industries, and supported innovative entrepreneurs in pursuing emerging markets. By continuing to promote new economic opportunities, WD is helping to create jobs, economic growth, and long-term prosperity.
