Insurance program covers sheep producers against bluetongue risk

Thursday, May 8, 2008

by MARY BAXTER

Rolled out earlier this week, the voluntary program provides coverage for mortality, business interruption and losses due to the disease. Bluetongue is a viral, midge-borne disease that affects many ruminants but is especially known to affect sheep’s productivity and, in severe cases, kill them.

Jennifer Fleming, executive director of the Canadian Sheep Federation, says the need for such a program became apparent after the federal government began allowing U.S. cattle to enter Canada without undergoing any bluetongue-related import requirements in 2007 and permitted imports of sheep, goats and other small ruminants, previously banned from entering Canada, for breeding.

“There have been years and years and years of lobbying to get this action (elimination of the bluetongue-related import regulations) to occur,” says Fleming, identifying the cattle industry as behind the push. The changes may have been beneficial for that sector but it has left the country’s sheep flocks more vulnerable, she says.

That’s because the bluetongue-related import requirements weren’t the only measures dumped: the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) also struck the five North American strains of the disease from its reportable disease list. As a result, an outbreak of one of these strains would no longer trigger compensation by the CFIA. (The federal agency must compensate owners of any animals destroyed under the reportable diseases regulations in the Health of Animals Act; about 20 other bluetongue strains remain on the list).

“So this was our response to that: if you’re not going to cover our producers, we’re going to get them at least something they can use so they’re not left stranded,” Fleming says, noting the program’s primary benefit to sheep producers is “peace of mind.”

Murray Emke is the past president of the Canadian Sheep Breeders and owns a small purebred operation in Elmwood near Hanover.

He says bluetongue isn’t as much of a concern in Ontario as it is in Western Canada where risks may be higher because of greater movement of cattle from the U.S. Midwest to the Prairies.

But he warns producers in Ontario not to become complacent about the disease. With global warming, the northern range of the insect that spreads the disease may become greater, he notes, pointing out there is conjecture that climate change was behind a 2006 outbreak in Europe of a strain native to the sub-Sahara in Africa. Moreover, sheep producers could also end up importing animals coming from areas where there have been outbreaks of the disease.

Nevertheless, Emke admits doubting the disease poses a high risk to his operation. “It’s always on your mind but there are probably more pressing issues right at the present time,” he says.

The last bluetongue outbreak in Canada occurred in 1999. But those in the industry say outbreaks, such as one in Wyoming in November that killed 300 lambs raise the risk of a Canadian outbreak.

The insurance program was developed jointly by the CSF and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. It’s open to all Canadian sheep farmers and 2008 coverage is currently being offered.

For more on the program, visit the CSF website. For information on bluetongue, visit the CFIA website. BF