By GINA KINSLOW
GLASGOW — The Barren County Conservation District was recently awarded $3,333 to support the Deceased Farm Animal Removal Program in Barren County.
Kentucky counties were allowed to apply for funding through the program, which is designed to serve as an interim measure to facilitate the coordination of environmentally sound and cost effective disposal of deceased livestock for Kentucky’s producers this spring. The program will cover expenditures incurred between July 1 and June 30, 2010.
The program was developed through a partnership with the Kentucky Division of Conservation and the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board as a stop-gap measure to give counties time to develop longer term plans in dealing with the disposal of dead animals.
Barren County ranks at the top of beef and dairy cattle production in state, dead cattle is a big issue. It is estimated the county 1,000 dead cows per year.
The Barren Fiscal Court teamed up with the Barren County Conservation District to apply for funding through the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board when the two groups learned the Kentucky Department of Agriculture had no funding for dead animal removal programs due to a budget shortfall.
“The conservation district applied to get the money from the ag development board,” said Glenn Barrick, chairman of the Barren County Conservation District’s board of directors. “We’re turning the money over to the fiscal court. Anybody who has dead animals picked up a rendering company can bring their receipts to the conservation office, turn them in.”
Barrick pointed out that the cost of rendering has gone up. Farmers now must pay $65 per animal.
The reason behind the increase to dispose of dead animals is new restrictions created by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration due to mad cow’s disease. FDA is requiring rendering companies to remove the brain and spinal chord of dead cows before putting them in their trucks and that means extra time is needed to do extra work.
“The fiscal court is paying $45 of the $65,” Barrick said.
The program is a temporary fix. Magistrates have not yet discussed what can be done to fund the removal of dead animals once the money from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board runs out.
“That’s a project that we might need to look at,” said Magistrate Carl Dickerson, adding that he thinks it is still OK for cattle producers to burry their dead animals.
Barrick said it is possible the Barren County Conservation District will reapply for funding.
“If the Ag Development Board has it we will,” he said.
