June 25, 2012

Canada announces investment of US$150,000 for swine biosecurity programme

An investment of US$150,000 has been announced by the federal and provincial governments for Sask Pork to implement the Canadian Swine Health Board's National Swine Farm-Level Biosecurity Programme in Saskatchewan.

The programme will assist pork producers in implementing biosecurity sanitation improvements on farms.

Funding will be provided for quality assurance training, biosecurity action plans, veterinary site assessments, animal transportation planning, water treatment monitoring equipment, pest control devices and other equipment. It is meant to reduce the possibility of introducing and spreading swine diseases.

The programme, being provided under the federal-provincial Growing Forward framework, will be administered in Saskatchewan by Sask Pork.

"This investment will help strengthen on-farm biosecurity practices, ensuring our herds remain healthy and producers remain profitable," stated federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz in a news release.