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CPC Statement on the Implementation of the Canada-South Korea Trade Agreement

Ottawa - The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) has been following with great interest developments in trade negotiations between Canada and South Korea and welcomes today's news that the Canada- Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA) will be implemented on January 1, 2015.

"The completion of the CKFTA was of critical importance for the Canadian pork sector.  South Korea has long recognized the quality of our pork and we look forward to rebuilding market share lost in recent years," stated CPC's Chair Jean-Guy Vincent. "The absence of an FTA with Korea was causing substantial and growing prejudice to the Canadian pork industry due to tariff rate disadvantages arising from all of our key competitors - the United States, the European Union and Chile - already having FTAs with South Korea in place."

The CKFTA will allow the pork industry the possibility of being on an equal footing with those competitors in what has at times been the industry's third or fourth most important export market.

The high value of pork items sold there, such as shoulder cuts and bellies, is significant enough to have a major impact on Canadian hog prices and jobs in both the farming and processing sectors. An American study evaluated the benefits for the US pork sector of the FTA between US and Korea at US $10 per hog and the benefits for the Canadian pork industry of a free trade deal with South Korea should be similar as those in the US.

The CPC serves as the national voice for hog producers in Canada. A federation of nine provincial pork industry associations, our organization's purpose is to play a leadership role in achieving and maintaining a dynamic and prosperous Canadian pork sector.

Source: CPC


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U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan | Made by Producers for Producers

Video: U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan | Made by Producers for Producers

Join Jill Brokaw, a third-generation pig farmer and staff member of the National Pork Board, as she dives into the vital role of the US Swine Health Improvement Plan, also known as US SHIP. The program establishes a national playbook of standards for monitoring African swine fever and classical swine fever.

Why Should Pork Producers Care? If a disease breaks out, officials will establish a control area to help contain the disease. This plan is designed to mitigate risk and demonstrate freedom of disease at the site level. The goal is to support business continuity outside of the control area in case of an outbreak.

How Will the Pork Industry Use US SHIP? US SHIP uses already existing programs to support the standards for biosecurity, traceability and disease surveillance.

Biosecurity: This plan uses your completed Secure Pork Supply plan to demonstrate compliance with the biosecurity program standards and shows your ability to reduce the risk of disease introduction.

Traceability: AgView can be used to demonstrate compliance with the traceability standards and the ability to electronically provide State and Federal agencies the traceability information they need to determine where disease is and isn’t.

Disease Surveillance: The Certified Swine Sampler Collector Program helps expand the number of people certified to take samples. In the event of a large-scale foreign animal disease outbreak, we will need a trained group of sample collectors to help animal health officials find where the disease is present. This is to help you demonstrate freedom of disease and support the permitted movement of animals.

Getting Started with US SHIP:

1. Enroll in U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan

2. Share 30 days of movement data

3. Have a completed Secure Pork Supply Plan

4. Become U.S. SHIP certified

5. Maintain communication with your state

Takeaway: U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan helps safeguard animal health. Together, we're creating a sustainable future for pork production in the United States and taking steps to strengthen the business of U.S. pork producers everywhere