Ontario’s livestock producers could see more and improved options for pickup and sustainable disposal of deadstock through a new federal/provincial program now on offer.
The Ontario and federal governments on Thursday opened the intake for applications under what they’re calling the Increasing Deadstock Capacity Initiative, budgeted for $1.5 million over two years.
The program, to be delivered by Ontario’s Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC), is meant to “help improve the removal handling, and disposal of deadstock” through cost-shared funding of projects that address “immediate and short-term deadstock capacity needs at businesses and municipalities in Ontario.”
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Funding is available to:
- new and existing deadstock service providers, including collectors, carriers, renderers, composting facilities, transfer stations and service brokers, among others;
- commercial operations that either “provide or require” deadstock services, such as slaughter plants or livestock sales barns;
- waste management companies such as Waste Management of Canada Corp. that offer “mass carcass emergency” services;
- commodity associations, including Ontario’s three accredited farm organizations as well as livestock producer groups, meat industry groups, animal product groups and county federations of agriculture; and
- municipalities, including both “upper-tier” and “lower-tier,” that either have or are setting up an approved waste disposal site that allows for disposal of dead animals.
Work eligible to be funded under the program includes construction or modifications that increase deadstock disposal and rendering capacity; retrofitting or modifying sites for such facilities; buying, retrofitting, and/or modifying collection, handling and storage equipment; and planning and assessments.
Through the initiative, an eligible applicant can get up to 40 per cent of total eligible project costs, to a maximum of $100,000 per project — and can be approved for no more than three projects, for up to no more than $300,000.
The program’s first intake opened Thursday (Sept. 21) and will remain open until Sept. 15, 2024 or whenever the funding is fully allocated. The deadline to apply for funding just for the 2023-24 program year (Sept. 21, 2023 to March 31, 2024) will be Feb. 1, 2024.
Approved projects can start on Sept. 21, 2023 or on the agreed-upon date in a given funding agreement. The earliest project start date will be April 1 next year for applications submitted after Feb. 1 next year.
To file claims for approved costs incurred between now and next March 31, the deadline will be March 28, 2024, while for costs incurred between April 1, 2024 and Feb. 1, 2025, the deadline will be Feb. 14, 2025. Any eligible projects approved under the program must be completed no later than Feb. 1, 2025.
Funding for the initiative will flow through the federal/provincial Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (S-CAP).
“Ontario’s livestock farmers are increasingly challenged with the disposal of deadstock in a manner that is economical, sustainable and that safeguards the integrity of our food system” AAC chair Doug Alexander said in Thursday’s release.
“Access to deadstock services is an essential part of livestock management,” provincial Ag Minister Lisa Thompson said in the same release. “This initiative will enable eligible businesses to streamline their operations and improve access to deadstock management solutions across the province.” — Glacier FarmMedia Network
