The Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a five-year federal-provincial-territorial initiative to strengthen the agriculture, agri-food, and agri-based products sector and increase its competitiveness, prosperity and sustainability. The Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) is delivering cost-share funding to producers and other business.
New under the Partnership: (1) veterinary clinics are eligible for cost-share funding for animal health projects under “other businesses”, and (2) animal welfare is incorporated into animal health.
For producers under the Partnership, a biosecurity assessment(based on national biosecurity standards for a given species) is requiredunder the Enhancing Animal Health and Preventing the Introduction and Spread of Disease topic areas (look to the OSCIA website for more information). A biosecurity workshop is alsorequired. Below are checklists from the National Biosecurity Standard for sheep and goats that can be used as the basis for the assessment.
Sheep Biosecurity Checklist Goat Biosecurity Checklist
A welfare assessmentis requiredfor a welfare related project. A generic welfare checklist has been developed by OMAFRA and can be found below.
Animal Welfare Checklist for Producers
Producers can use the checklists to perform self-assessments or have a 3rdparty (i.e. veterinarian) complete the assessment. Assessments done by a 3rdparty will receive higher merit. Letters of support are NOTrequired. Completed assessments MUSTdemonstrate the need for the project. All completed assessments must be sent in with the producer’s application.
Preference is currently being given to projects that support sheep, goats, veal, beef cattle and farmed cervids.
Biosecurity and welfare checklists under the other business category can also be found below.
Other Agri-business Biosecurity Checklist Other Agri-business Welfare Checklist
More detailed information about the Partnership, including requirements and application documentation, can be found on the OSCIA website:
https://www.ontariosoilcrop.org/canadian-agricultural-partnership/
Specific questions regarding an application can be forwarded to Barb Caswell, Program Coordinator (Animal Welfare, Animal and Plant Health, Food Safety, Traceability), OSCIA at 519-826-4707 or bcaswell@ontariosoilcrop.org