Toronto, Ontario – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz today announced investments of nearly $2 million to strengthen traceability and biosecurity in Canada’s pork industry. Minister Ritz made the announcement at the Canada Pork International Annual Meeting in Toronto.
The Canadian Pork Council will receive up to $1.6 million towards the ongoing maintenance and implementation of PigTrace Canada, an industry-led national swine traceability system. The Canadian Swine Health Board (CSHB) will receive up to $351,000 in additional federal funding to assist the industry with the long-term management of swine health issues and the prevention of the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv).
Quick Facts
- The investment in PigTrace is being made through the AgriMarketing Program, a five-year, up to $341-million initiative under Growing Forward 2. This investment builds on funding previously received through Growing Forward.
- Effective July 1, 2014, federal regulations have made swine traceability mandatory in Canada.
- A federal investment of over $29 million through the Canadian Swine Health Board (CSHB) helped the industry prepare to mitigate risks related to swine diseases, including the development and implementation of on-farm biosecurity standards and best management practices. Through this investment, over 90% of Certified Quality Assurance hog production sites across Canada received training on the Farm-Level Biosecurity Standard to increase awareness and encourage producers to implement best management practices and manage disease risks on farm.
Source: AAFC