By Bruce Cochrane.
Saskatchewan pork producers are now eligible to apply for assistance to purchase equipment that will help them comply with new requirements under Canada's Code of practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs.
Canada's revised Pig Code of Practice outlines accepted methods for euthanasia and, July 2, new requirements for pain control during painful procedures took effect.
The Saskatchewan Pork Development Board, in partnership with the Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan through Growing Forward 2, has unveiled the Saskatchewan Swine Welfare Program.
Harvey Wagner, the Manager of Producer Services with Sask Pork, says producers will be able to receive financial assistance to purchase the equipment that will help them comply with the new code requirements.
Harvey Wagner-Saskatchewan Pork Development Board:
Every CQA registered farm, so people who are abiding by the code and need to abide by the code as a condition of their participation in the CQA program, is eligible for up to $4,000 under the program of which they have to provide 20 percent.
The Growing Forward 2 Program for Canadian agriculture will provide 60 percent, Sask Pork is going to provide 20 percent and the farm has to provide 20 percent.
It's a significant saving to the farm.
Some of these pieces of equipment are fairly expensive.
What is eligible is needle free injection equipment or modifications to their existing needle free injection equipment for administering pain control to piglets and then euthanasia equipment that's compliant with the methods of euthanasia.
That would be things like a non penetrating captive bolt, carbon dioxide euthanasia equipment and also approved electrocution equipment.
There's limited approved electrocution, but equipment that's safe for humans, for people to use so we want to make sure that we have approved equipment there.
Wagner notes payments will be processed on a first received basis, so later applications may not be eligible for payment, as funding is limited.
Source: Farmscape