Pig Code of Practice Update Demonstrates Commitment of Canada's Pork Producers to Excellence

The General Manager of Manitoba Pork suggests the update of Canada's Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs is another demonstration of the commitment of Canada's pork producers to excellence.An article posted to Manitoba Pork's web site and circulated through Manitoba community newspapers examines the challenges faced by Canada's pork producers, from protecting swine herds from the threat of disease to updating the rules for the care and handling of pigs to discussions surrounding tariffs and trade.

Cam Dahl, the General Manager of Manitoba Pork, notes Canada's Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs, which provides guidelines for animal care workers, was last updated in 2014 and the National Farm Animal Care Council is now in the process of updating the requirements.

Quote-Cam Dahl-Manitoba Pork:

The National Farm Animal Care Council is something that's unique in Canada.We don't see a process like this anywhere else in the world and it really is a coming together of research scientists, veterinarians, farmers as well as some of our retail customers and even some of the nongovernmental organizations involved in animal welfare.

To set the guidelines for the care and handling of pigs in the case, there's a code of practice for all farmed animals in Canada and it's regularly reviewed.
About once every five to ten years we look at the code and say, hey is this following the current science or do we need to update in some places and that's really the process we're going  through now.This is a robust process and I expect it to take probably at least three years to get through the review process.

Dahl notes the Code Development Committee overseeing the update includes independent scientists, representatives from animal welfare organizations, veterinarians, governments, and consumer-facing members as well farmers.He suggests updating the code is more than just a public relations exercise but rather the result of a rigorous development process that uses the best science on pig health and welfare, compiled through an independent peer-reviewed process.