Hog producers will soon get a glimpse of what is proposed for a national traceability program for their industry.
Details of the program will be presented at meetings across Canada in November and early December, so producers can comment on what is proposed.
A national premises registry will be among the most important aspects of the traceability effort.
Producers also can learn about the requirements proposed for things like hog tattooing and the reporting of animal movements from farm through to slaughter.
“We have been working on this for a long time and think it is the most effective way and practical way of doing traceability in our sector without adding too much burden on the producer himself,” said Francois Bedard, technical affairs specialist for the Canadian Pork Council.
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Some of the things proposed in the national program already have started to take hold in the hog industry. Others, such as the premises registry, will be new.
“I can’t deny that there will be some costs added to the industry in terms of getting this thing up and running,” Bedard said.
There will be a number of benefits from having a national traceability program in place for the hog industry, he said. It will help identify the whereabouts of diseased animals in the event of a foreign animal disease outbreak. It also could help the industry more quickly restore normal trade following a disease outbreak or the occurrence of a food safety issue.
“Another important aspect is market access,” Bedard said. “Now, especially from Japan, they’re looking for our sector to have an efficient traceability system in place.”
