Farmscape for February 21, 2008  (Episode 2759)

Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Initiatives has formed a task force which will review all facets of veterinary services within the province and make recommendations for improvements.

A newly formed provincial task force is scheduled to hold public consultations in five Manitoba communities during the first week of March as it begins a review of veterinary services available in Manitoba.

The task force will review legislation and programs available in Manitoba, examine how services are provided in other areas and provide recommendations for improvement.

Provincial agriculture minister Rosann Wowchuk says maintaining timely access to veterinary medical care for livestock is critical.

Clip-Rosann Wowchuk-Manitoba Agriculture Minister 

Veterinarian services and demands have changed over the years.

There's been a tremendous amount of pressure on vet services districts being able to maintain veterinarians in the big animal industry.

There's also different disease issues.

The whole issue of surveillance is something that we, maybe ten or 20 years ago, didn't think about.

But, with the possibilities of disease, we have to think about early warnings and different kinds of surveillances for foreign animal diseases.

I felt that it was important that we review this and the task force will be looking at how veterinary services are distributed, services that are available in the various parts of the province.

I want them to also look at how the current system that is in place would work as a warning or a surveillance should there be a foreign animal disease and we really want them to look at how effective our services are and look at where we can make improvements.

Wowchuk says the review will provide a clearer understanding of the services that are needed and the roles of veterinarians, the public and government in safeguarding the health of animals and the livestock industries.

She expects a report in late spring or early summer.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council