By Bruce Cochrane.
The Animal Nutrition Association of Canada says the elimination of Table-4 of the Feeds Act will allow feed formulators to customize livestock rations while also safeguarding the environment.
As part of its modernization of Canada's feed regulatory framework, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has proposed replacing Table-4 of the Feeds Act with maximum nutrient inclusion levels and is now reviewing stakeholder input on the proposed changes.
Matt Einarson, a Director with the Animal Nutritional Association of Canada and Managing Director of EMF Nutrition, says the change will allow nutritionists to make the dietary adjustments that will improve performance.
Matt Einarson-Animal Nutritional Association of Canada:
I think it's become a commonplace understanding, at least from the livestock producer's perspective, that phosphorus levels within feed, specifically on the hog side of things, had minimal impact on what was happening in Lake Manitoba.
However the decision was made by the government to put a moratorium on hog expansion within Manitoba largely in part due to their thoughts on what phosphorus levels within hog manure were having in terms of contribution to eutrophication of the lake.
That being said, there was opportunity and still exists to be opportunity through technologies like enzymes, phytase in particular, where you can lower the amount of added phosphorus in the diet.
However within Table-4 we were required to include minimum amounts of added phosphorus and now we'll be able to go below those amounts without having any regulatory impact which should help to reduce the amount of excreted phosphorus in hog diets, again all playing its part in reducing the environmental footprint of animal agriculture but still having a very limited effect on what was going on within the lake.
Einarson says, in terms of timing, the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago and the second best time is today.
However he expects any changes to take at least a year to take effect.
Source: Farmscape