Tracking pigs in Canada will become mandatory in July, as will the establishment of a national swine traceability system.
Changes to Canadian animal health regulations to amend the laws were published in the Canada Gazette at the end of February.
In a news release, the Canadian Pork Council said it has worked closely with producers and the government to develop the new traceability program, Pigtrace Canada.
Pork council officials believe enough time has been spent discussing the program with producers and that the program will be delivered by July.
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“For many years, the Canadian hog industry has enjoyed an excellent herd health status,” said Oliver Hann, chair of the Canadian Pork Councils Traceability Implementation Committee.
“Animal health and foreign animal disease preparedness are key priorities for our industry, and these new measures will strengthen our industry’s ability to respond to future disease outbreaks,” he said.
The program is expected to play an important role in reducing the risk of transmission of emerging diseases once the program is implemented. It is also expected to reduce the time needed to respond and investigate disease outbreaks from days to minutes.
