WINNIPEG – Baldur, Man. farmer Karl Kynoch enjoys raising hogs, but he never considered himself a guinea pig.
As one of 18 hog producer volunteers taking part in Manitoba’s quality assurance pilot project, Kynoch said he doesn’t mind putting in the extra work.
The project requires an additional half hour of paperwork a day for his 200 farrow to finish operation.
It’s worth it, Kynoch said
“We have no choice. If we want to keep our export market we have to do it.”
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The notion of safeguarding the food chain from the farmgate to the consumer’s plate is a key for food-exporting countries, as more countries move toward stricter quality control measures.
Japan, Manitoba’s second largest importer of pork products, has been pushing the province to adopt the HACCP model, referring to a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points system.
National program
In the national scene, the Canadian Pork Council is putting together a national pork quality assurance program, but individual provinces are moving at their own pace, Manitoba Pork vice-chair David Rolfe told the association’s annual meeting in Winnipeg.
Alberta’s pilot project involves 60 producers, he said.
Manitoba producers like Kynoch will meet in two months to compare notes and look at ways to make the program as user-friendly as possible.
Kynoch said that’s why he got involved.
“This is a lot of extra work so we want to make it as easy for the farmers as possible,” he said. The program involves logging all medicines and vaccinations and keeping track of pigs in finishing areas.
“Japan wants something on paper to guarantee quality so this is what we have to do to keep that market,” he said. “Either you’re a credible producer or no one is going to buy your hogs.”
A national quality assurance program for Canada’s pork industry is expected to be released for voluntary implementation in July.
