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Industry Input Sought on Selection of NSERC Industrial Chair in Swine Welfare

By Bruce Cochrane

The president and CEO of the Prairie Swine Centre is calling on stakeholders within Canada's pork industry to provide input on the selection of a qualified candidate to fill the position of NSERC Industrial Chair in Swine Welfare.

A global search is underway for a new ethologist with a focus on swine who will also move into the position of NSERC Industrial Chair in Swine Welfare.

The new scientist will hold a tenured track position with the University of Saskatchewan, will be resident at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and will be part of the multi disciplinary team of scientists at the Prairie Swine Centre and will also be expected to develop relationships with researchers in veterinary medicine, nutrition and engineering and barn design across Canada.

Lee Whittington, the president and CEO of the Prairie Swine Centre, says despite a lack of profitability the pork industry including producer groups in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and P.E.I., as well as Olymel, Maple Leaf Foods, Sunterra, Highlife and Conestoga have pledged significant dollars to this position.

Lee Whittington-Prairie Swine Centre:
If you know someone who might make a good applicant for the job, I would send them to the University of Saskatchewan or the Prairie Swine Centre web site where they will see the posting for the position

We're looking to shortlist and interview those people in the month of July and early August.

The other area that the industry, I think, will be very interested in is helping us to solicit opinions on our short list of candidates so we will be looking for ways to engage webinars and meet in person some of our short listed candidates.

That will take place over the course of this summer.

Whittington says we need a go to group in science to which the various groups can go to to find out more about pig welfare and pig care and where the research is leading us in those areas.

Source: Farmscape


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Advancement Through Science: The Purpose of the Beef Cattle Research Council

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Every time a beef animal is sold in Canada, the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off is collected, and a portion of it funds research and extension through the Beef Cattle Research Council.

The BCRC has a vision of a transparent, competitive and sustainable Canadian beef industry. And, we’re on a mission to support growth in beef demand, increase productivity and earn public trust. Research investments by producers are making that happen.

The BCRC works to advance the Canadian beef industry through industry-led research and extension. We create practical tools and resources that help producers make improvements in:

?? animal health and welfare,

?? forage and grassland productivity

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??environmental sustainability.

Guided by a board of producers from across Canada, the BCRC has one goal -- to make every producer-paid research dollar count. For each dollar invested through the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off, we leverage two to three dollars from other funding sources.

By bridging the gap between research and real-life application, we empower producers to make economical, science-based decisions to help drive innovation, sustainability and profitability in their operations.

Where industry investment and collaboration intersect with research and ranching – that’s where we find advancement through science and the real purpose of the Beef Cattle Research Council.