|
Livestock Groups Come Together to
Investigate Biosecurity Gaps
If the age old adage of
two heads are better than one holds true, then four
heads are even better. The veal, beef, sheep and goat
sectors have come together in an effort to investigate
biosecurity gaps in the livestock sector.
Recently, the Agricultural Adaptation
Council (AAC) approved funding of $189,060.00 to help
support the collective efforts of the four sectors. Kim
Turnbull, Chair of the AAC Board of Directors is
encouraged by the collaboration of the four
organizations. “These animals share common disease risks
and are raised in similar environments, therefore, these
commodity groups are a natural work unit, in proceeding
towards enhancing the livestock industry in Ontario,”
says Turnbull.
The Ontario Veal Association (OVA), the
Ontario Cattlemen’s Association (OCA), the Ontario Sheep
Marketing Agency (OSMA) and the Ontario Dairy Goat
Co‐operative (ODGC) have engaged eBiz Professionals Inc.
to manage the project and provide a strategic analysis
of the current state of biosecurity and emergency
preparedness in the four sectors from inputs
suppliers, through production activities to processing.
One of the goals of this project is to
prepare these four sectors to move to the same level of
preparedness and biosecurity as the poultry industries.
The pork sector has recently completed a similar study
and is now ready to secure funds for implementation of
their biosecurity and emergency preparedness plans. “The
approach being taken by the veal, beef, sheep and goat
sectors is consistent with work previously done in these
other sectors. What has been learned in earlier work
will be used here, and we will also ensure that the
outcomes fit with the proposed national standards for
biosecurity,” said Ian Richardson, President of eBiz.
“All of our livestock industries deserve to have the
knowledge and resources to reduce the impact of animal
disease.”
The project, supported by government and
other industry partners will help the veal, beef, sheep
and goat industries prepare for implementation in 2010,
and allow them to tap into Growing Forward funding for
biosecurity and traceability initiatives. “On behalf of
the goat sector, we are thrilled to be working with our
livestock counterparts in order to better position
ourselves for future funding and programs,” stated ODGC
General Manager Lisa Thompson.
The project will look at production
limiting diseases of economic significance in each
sector on which enhanced biosecurity measures could have
an impact at the farm level by reducing mortality and
decreasing costs of production.
“Saving livestock farmers money on the bottom line is
something all our sectors can benefit from and by
looking at the production limiting diseases we can see
how implementing biosecurity protocols can make a
difference everyday” stated OCA Policy Advisor Jennifer
Snively.
At the same time, the work being
completed will also examine emergency preparedness and
the ability of the sectors to respond. “Like a good
insurance policy, you will never know the true value of
the investment until you really need to rely on it in an
emergency situation” suggests OSMA General Manager
Murray Hunt.
“This project is very proactive in nature. We are
collectively looking at the gaps that exist now so that
we can start to address how we can fill them in”
suggests OVA Executive Director Jennifer Haley. “By
working together, our four groups can avoid duplication
and discover synergies that will ultimately benefit
livestock farmers” she added.
Work is well underway through the study
of the auction market node, the development of lists of
diseases for each sector and the mapping of supply chain
relationships. The next phase of the project begins
immediately with the formation of working groups, a
broader industry consultation and data collection. The
project is scheduled to be completed by June 2010.
Funding for this project was provided in part by
Agriculture and Agri‐Food Canada's Advancing Canadian
Agriculture and Agri‐Food Program, which is delivered in
Ontario by the Agricultural Adaptation Council.
-30-
For more information
contact:
Jennifer Haley, OVA Executive Director
(519) 824‐2942 |
