The B.C. government says ranchers and farmers in northern B.C. will get more timely and better access to animal care with a new program to attract and retain livestock veterinarians.
“Our government remains committed to supporting farmers in B.C. care for their livestock by developing innovative programs that address their veterinary needs,” said Lana Popham, minister of Agriculture and Food.
“This initiative aims to bolster the number of veterinarians in rural communities. By doing so, we can provide essential support for livestock care, ultimately strengthening our province’s food security and economy.”
The program will help existing veterinary clinics that provide livestock care to recruit and retain vets and registered veterinary technologists. The clinics will also receive funding for equipment and training.
Each clinic can receive a maximum of $25,000, which they can use in a variety of ways:
- hiring bonuses for new veterinarians and technologists who commit to contracts of one year or longer (up to $25,000);
- recruiting expenses in the form of advertising, recruitment services and travel expenses for interviews (up to $5,000);
- software and training to improve a clinic's telemedicine capacity (up to $3,000);
- support for local planning for sustainably delivering vet services in under-serviced areas (up to $10,000);
- and herd health services or extra staffing during calving and lamb season (up to $25,000).
Northern B.C. is the program's priority region as, comparatively, there is a greater lack of livestock vets in the region.
“Meeting the demand for animal care in a rural area means long and busy days and nights, especially with the shortage of veterinarians in our rural communities,” said Cori Stephen, a veterinarian with the Nechako Valley Animal Health Services in Vanderhoof.
“I’m hopeful the new program will help rural, small-town practices like ours attract and retain veterinarians and technologists interested in joining a rural practice, which, in turn, will allow us to provide care to more animals in need in our area.”
The Investment Agriculture Foundation is in charge of delivering the program on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.
The first intake for applications runs from Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, to Jan. 15, 2025.
The program is part of the Province's efforts in recent years to increase the numbers of vets and technologists in B.C, including programs offering temporary financial support, student placements in rural practices, doubling the number of provincially subsizied students and new legislation that better recognizes international credentials.
