Farmscape for October 4, 2005  (Episode 1930)

The Canadian Pork Council says North American pork producers share a common objective when it comes to the issue of traceability.

Representatives of the Canadian Pork Council, the US based National Pork Producers Council and the Mexican Pork Producers Association are meeting this week in Banff to discuss issues of mutual interest.

Yesterday animal identification and traceability highlighted discussions.

CPC Hog Traceability Working Group Chair Dennis McKerracher says the spirit of cooperation is there.

Clip-Dennis McKerracher-Canadian Pork Council 

The focus for traceability at these discussions is from an animal health point of view and looking at the North American integrated market.

This was the first blush, if you will, on discussions.

What I was extremely pleased with is that the three countries have all committed to meet again.

That would be comprised of the specific people that are working on traceability initiatives in their appropriate country.

Some of the key areas that we will discussing that have interest to each other would be premise registration.

That would be what is contained in premise registration and implementation dates, also a discussion on animal identification, looking at individual and groups and also looking at such things as mandatory versus voluntary.

We all want, I believe, the same end result and that's to mitigate foreign animal diseases.

The country, of course, depending on the business structures in that country, (the method) to get to that result may differ from country to country.

We just want to have a clear understanding of how each country will get to the end goal.

McKerracher is confident the three countries can share information and work together to achieve the end goal of reducing foreign animal disease.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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