Farmscape for September 22, 2006  (Episode 2253)

The Canadian Pork Council is confident a new standardized method for calculating space allowance will help clear up much of the confusion that has resulted as producers have adopted the new animal welfare component of Canadian Quality Assurance.

The Animal Care Assessment Tool, introduced in July 2005, was developed as a stand alone component of Canadian Quality Assurance, the Canadian swine industry's national on farm food safety program and it's intended to provide producers an auditable means of demonstrating the care they provide their animals.

CPC Executive Associate Catherine Scovil says a new producer guide will provide additional information on each of the ACA's requirements.

Clip-Catherine Scovil-Canadian Pork Council 

What we've done is outlined a very detailed methodology for calculating space allowances because what we discovered is that producers are all calculating space allowances using different approaches and the key will be to have that approach standardized.

What we did recognize, when we developed the animal care assessment tool, was that there was new research being done on space allowances and so the space allowances that are in the ACA reflect the current publication of the code of practice for the care and handling of pigs and it allows a little bit of a tolerance recognizing that new information was coming out.

We, the Canadian Pork Council, is committed to examining this new research and that process is underway.

Let's look at what the new research is.

Let's look at practical on farm settings and see if we need to revise space allowance numbers that we currently have in the ACA but, in the meantime, what we want to do is make sure that we're all using the same methodology.

Scovil notes draft versions of the producer guide are being used in some provinces and the final version is expected to be released in both official languages in October.

She adds the Canadian Pork Council is committed to reviewing ACA in 2007 and she encourages producers to get a copy of the package and to see how it works on their farms.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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