Traceability Is Key In Pork Industry

 

The PigTrace Canada program has been mandatory in Canada since 2014.

 

Producers are required to report any movement of their animals, with the intent of having information readily available to respond to a foreign animal disease situation or food safety emergency.

 

Jeff Clark of the Canadian Pork Council manages the program.

 

He says they've noticed some interesting trends in the data that's being collected.

 

"We see some long distance movements, like from Saskatchewan to Quebec for example. Seeing some of those movement trends, even though they might be infrequent, those long distance ones, they're really helpful to prepare for an emergency outbreak if we had a large foreign animal disease in eastern Canada for example. Canada's a big country, but we are connected by transport, so it's good to be aware of the different types of movement patterns we have."

 

Video: Episode 107: Think you have a closed herd?

Surveys show many producers believe they operate a closed herd, but what does “closed” really mean? For some, it simply means being genetically closed by raising their own replacements and cleanup bulls, using artificial insemination for new genetics and avoiding the purchase of outsourced cattle. However, being a truly closed herd goes far beyond genetics. A closed herd also works to eliminate as many potential sources of disease introduction as possible. In this episode, we take a closer look at what it truly means to run a closed herd.