CFIA awards contract for long-awaited foot-and-mouth vaccine bank

The federal authorities has awarded contracts to vaccine makers in a step towards the creation of a long-awaited foot-and-mouth illness vaccine financial institution.

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Well being and Biogénesis Bagó SA will provide vaccines and develop the bank, the Canadian Meals Inspection Company (CFIA) introduced on Tuesday. Public Providers and Procurement Canada awarded the contract on the CFIA’s behalf following a “aggressive procurement course of.”

The Liberal authorities promised a foot-and-mouth vaccine financial institution in its 2023 budget following years of advocacy from agricultural teams.

“The Canadian beef business breathed a collective sigh of reduction to study a foot-and-mouth illness vaccine financial institution is on the horizon,” Alberta Beef Producers stated in a report on its web site after the announcement.

It’s anticipated an outbreak of the illness, which affects cloven-hooved animals like cattle, pigs, sheep and deer, would probably shut borders to exports of Canadian meat and animals.

In a January webinar, Alberta Beef Producers extension lead Karen Schmid estimated an outbreak might value the Canadian livestock sector round $65 billion.