The Canadian Swine Health Board reports pork industry stakeholders appear receptive to maintaining programs developed to protect swine herds from disease after federal funding runs out.
In response to a devastating porcine circovirus outbreak in the mid-2000s, the federal government provided 75 million dollars to create the Canadian Swine Health Board and develop programs to reduce the spread of disease.
With federal funding due to end March 31, 2013 the board is calling on industry to commit the support needed to keep these programs going.
Canadian Swine Health Board Chair Florian Possberg says until now producers have not had to put in their own money.
Florian Possberg-Canadian Swine Health Board:
Now the producers will have to come up with funding out of the check-off that we have in our industry.
We are also including other parts of the industry, the value chain.
Whether you're in the breeding stock business or a processor or feed mill or providing finance or supplies to our industry, we're looking to them as well to contribute to the health of the Canadian swine herd through the Canadian Swine Health Board.
As we get into specific items that need the public to participate in, like surveillance, we will be going to the federal government and in some cases provincial governments for support as well because there really is a public interest aspect to this so we'll really have a broad base of contribution to the efforts of the Swine Health Board to enhance our health of our Canadian herd.
Possberg says feedback to date has been quite positive but, because this is not the way things have been done in the past, people need time to think about it.
However he is optimistic the resources needed to continue to impact positively the health of the Canadian swine herd will be there.
By Bruce Cochrane.