Farmscape for July 11, 2007  (Episode 2535)

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is applauding a new training program for truckers involved in transporting beef, hogs, horses, sheep and poultry throughout Canada and into the U.S.

The Certified Livestock Transporter Program, developed by the Alberta Farm Animal Care Association in consultation with livestock industry stakeholders and government, is a training program for truckers involved in transporting livestock.

The first instructors received their training in May.

CFIA senior staff veterinarian for the transportation of animals Dr. Gord Doonan notes multi stakeholder consultations, conducted from 1993 to 1995, identified a need for training for drivers and others involved in transporting animals in Canada.

Clip-Dr. Gord Doonan-Canadian Food Inspection Agency 

This helps to fill that need.

We need more of it but this is exactly the kind of thing that the stakeholders were asking for and it's clearly needed.

As far as the process, I think it was the way we do things in Canada.

This was a collaborative venture with all involved parties including the government and various stake holder organizations and I think that the end result shows the value of that process.

There is a good component of regulations in the course as well which, from the point of view of the of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, is very positive.

I think the first step towards complying with the regulations is to know what they are and the course is very good with respect to regulatory content but it also has a lot of practical content as well.

Dr. Doonan points out the Certified Livestock Transporter Program was an industry led initiative and all of the involved parties from producers through transporters to processors as well as provincial governments and the federal government have been supportive.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council