December 22, 2006

Canada government to provide funds for pork assessment

The Canadian government is providing C$184,720 to the Canadian Pork Council to help producers evaluate and improve animal care in their operations, according to a release from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Minister Chuck Strahl.

Funding this project would provide hog farms with the best assessment tools to enable them to meet on-farm requirements, said Strahl.

The new assessment tool would assure consumers that hogs are well cared for during their lifespan.

The Animal Care Assessment, or ACA, tool would allow validators to review the practice of hog producers and help producers show how they care for their animals.

The programme is expected to help the sector improve the marketability of Canadian pork in both Canada and export markets.

The Canadian Pork Council would finalise and distribute ACA materials to hog producers across Canada to create awareness and develop appropriate training programmes.