CFIA launches voluntary made-in-Canada biosecurity standards for sheep, goat producers
By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com
A new voluntary national biosecurity standard for sheep and goat farms was recently rolled out by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The new Canadian standards outline the best practices from each sector in order to enhance existing on-farm biosecurity risks and prevent the risk of disease transmission.
The biosecurity standards will assist sheep and goat farmers in creating a biosecurity plan for their operation which will allow the industries’ to continue to produce safe, high quality products. The standards were created for Canadian farms and can be applied to all different types and sizes of farm operations from small to large.
Each standard was created to be industry-specific. The goat standard was developed over a two-year period in partnership with the Canadian National Goat Federation. Its standard has six-different components which outline best-management practices (BMPs) including: sourcing and introducing animals, animal health, facility management, movement of people, vehicles and equipment, monitoring and record keeping, and communications and training.
While the goat standard is organized into six different areas, the sheep standard organizes its BMPs into four categories which include: animal health management practices, record-keeping, the farm and its facilities, and equipment; and people.
Voluntary biosecurity standards have already been created for other industry groups including: dairy, beef, hog, and grain/oilseed farm operations.