Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz is telling hog producers to look to their provincial governments for help as a potentially catastrophic swine disease shows signs of spreading in Canada.
Cases of the highly infectious porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus have been detected in Ontario and Quebec.
It already has caused significant losses to the hog industry in the United States.
“This is a provincial issue,” Ritz said in the House of Commons Jan. 28. “Having said that, CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) stands ready to assist in any monitoring that is required.”
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Ritz said the federal government has been leading the way in working with the industry on traceability and bio-security measures.
New Democratic Party agriculture critic Malcolm Allen accused Ritz of ignoring the fact that viruses cross provincial boundaries.
“Where is the minister’s plan to prevent this epidemic from becoming a national crisis?” he asked in the Commons Jan. 29. “Is he simply waiting for the pork industry to have another crisis and eventually collapse?”
Ritz scoffed at the suggestion, noting again that CFIA is ready to work with affected provinces in monitoring and testing. “Of course, this is a provincial issue; reporting of PED is a provincial issue.”
New Democrat deputy agriculture critic Ruth Ellen Brosseau noted that Ritz was minister during several food safety disasters during his almost seven years in office, although PED is an animal disease and not a food safety issue.
“Does anyone still have faith in this minister?” she asked. “Is the prime minister the only one?”
