Farmscape for July 10, 2007  (Episode 2534)

A new national livestock transporter training program is generating considerable interest among truckers involved in the movement of livestock throughout Canada and into the U.S.

The Certified Livestock Transporter Program was developed by the Alberta Farm Animal Care Association in consultation with industry stakeholders, including truckers, shippers, meat packers and regulatory agencies.

AFAC manager Susan Church explains the voluntary program focuses on the humane transport of livestock and the regulatory requirements for truckers that move livestock across Canada and into the U.S.

Clip-Susan Church-Alberta Farm Animal Care Association 

We had done a series of industry reports on livestock transportation over the years.

Clearly the industry, meaning truckers themselves, shippers and receivers were saying that there is a need for more training in the area of livestock transportation and handling and that's what kick started the whole idea.

Then it was reinforced because we learned that CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) federally was looking at, down the road, requesting or demanding a proof of competency for truckers so we thought, hey let's get ahead of the game here and have an industry driven program that industry has been very involved with to help develop.

The main focus is on the regulations, what is required of you as a trucker from a standpoint of time in transit, requirements for the humane care of the animals, what animals can be properly loaded, what shouldn't be loaded, all of the food and water requirements, and of the space requirements for livestock.

So the core document focuses on that and then what we have is break out modules for beef, hogs horses, sheep and poultry.

Church notes people in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta have now been certified to deliver the program.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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