WINNIPEG, MANITOBA – Canada has launched a new assistance program for cattle producers in the province of Manitoba. The 2020 Canada-Manitoba Finished Cattle Feed Assistance Program will provide up to C$2.5 million in direct support to producers impacted by the pandemic.

Owners of finished cattle will receive C$1.20 per day per animal to help offset costs to feed animals beyond their expected marketing dates, due to slaughter plant closures and operational reductions resulting from COVID-19 outbreaks, or disease control measures, the government said. The deadline to apply for support is Dec. 1, 2020. The program will cover eligible extraordinary costs incurred between April 15, 2020 and Aug. 31, 2020.

“COVID-19 forced a bottleneck in our processing plants and a backup in demand that caused stress and added costs on our cattle producers,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “Our government acted swiftly to announce supports such as the Emergency Processing Fund and national AgriRecovery initiatives that have helped our producers to continue to supply their top quality products to Canadians. With today’s announcement, our government is directly helping Manitoba cattle producers with added costs they faced during this unprecedented time.”