OTTAWA – Canadian hog industry leaders are urging farmers to clean up their act, both to improve the industry’s image and to try to head off the threat of more restrictive government regulation.
Last week, the Canadian Pork Council published a Canadian Code of Practice for Environmentally Sound Hog Production which will be distributed across the country.
It educates farmers about the dangers of land and water degradation, and the threat to their industry from governments or non-farmers who object to farming practices or smells and want tighter controls.
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And it aims to assure customers, both domestic and foreign, that hog producers take their stewardship responsibilities seriously.
“I think most hog producers already are responsible,” said Joe van Vulpen, an Amherst, N.S. producer and chair of the committee which wrote the code.
On firm ground
“But there are pressures in some places to restrict the industry. I think if farmers adopt this code and are able to demonstrate they are doing what they can to reduce pollution, then the industry will be on a more secure footing.”
The code warns farms “the potential for environmental regulations to restrain hog production expansion in many parts of Canada needs to be addressed.”
It also notes despite right to farm legislation in many provinces, farmers still can be threatened by neighbors who do not like the sounds, smells and sights of farming.
The code was written over the past year by a committee that included hog producers, government officials, academics, environmentalists and bankers who often demand an environmental accounting from farmers asking for loans.
The code includes practical advice on how to store and apply manure to fields, how to dispose of dead animal carcasses and how to reduce the sights and smells that can annoy neighbors.
Before creating or expanding a hog operation, know the local environmental laws and be certain the land base is able to accommodate manure as fertilizer, it suggests.
When selecting a site, make certain the terrain, the slope and water supplies are suitable for an environmentally sensitive operation.
Take precautions
“Consider prevailing winds to avoid drift of dust and odors to neighbors and the farm house,” advises the code. “Take advantage of natural terrain and landscaping to minimize conflicts with neighbors over nuisances such as flies and odors. Air turbulence created by shrubs and trees will dilute odors.”
Van Vulpen said people moving to the countryside must be made aware there are sights, sounds and smells which emanate from normal farming.
“There is a need for greater awareness and it is a two-way street.”
