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Province Commits New Supports for Ranchers

May 22, 2009

Kamloops – The Province will develop a new fencing program to protect livestock along highway and rail corridors, and create a new Ranching Task Force to support the province’s ranching industry, Premier Gordon Campbell said today at the BC Cattlemen’s Association annual general meeting.
 
“We committed during the election campaign that we would help build fences to protect livestock, and we will now begin working with the BC Cattlemen’s Association to identify priority fencing projects and develop a three-year fencing program,” said Premier Campbell. “We’re also creating a task force to address the challenges the ranching industry faces, and today’s meeting gives us an opportunity to work directly with the stakeholders to ensure we’re meeting their needs.”
 
Livestock on highways and rail corridors poses a serious safety threat, and costs ranchers thousands of dollars in avoidable expenses. The new fencing program will build on the three-year, $9-million fencing program that expired in 2007. Through that program, approximately 600 kilometres of fencing was built. An estimated 700 kilometres of outstanding fencing is needed along highway corridors.
 
The Ranching Task Force will also bring together key stakeholders with government to advise how policy and regulatory changes can assist the industry through challenging global economic times and into the future.
 
“The beef industry is worth about $277 million to British Columbia’s economy,” said Premier Campbell. “Ranching provides jobs and income for thousands of British Columbians, from small hobby farms to large producers, and our government wants to help strengthen the industry and protect those jobs.”
 
The Ranching Industry Task Force will be created in consultation with the industry, through the BC Cattlemen’s Association. The new fencing program will be developed through the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
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Authorized By Jim Pipe, Financial Agent BC Liberal Party.
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