On August 24, 2015, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) officially notified Manitoba Pork that, as of October 1, 2015, the Agency will no longer allow livestock trailers returning from farms in the U.S. to enter Canada at any port-of-entry unless they have been cleaned and disinfected as outlined in the federal Health of Animals Regulation, Section 106.
During the initial phase of the discovery of PEDv in Canada, a temporary emergency protocol for empty swine trucks was established in Manitoba that permitted these trucks to cross the border to Manitoba cleaning and disinfection facilities. Over the objections of Manitoba Pork and Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, the CFIA has now determined that PEDv in Canada no longer requires this emergency response.
Manitoba Pork is very disappointed with this unilateral decision by the CFIA. We are concerned that this change to cross-border transport protocol means that it is only a matter of time before we find PEDv again in Manitoba. As well, exporters will have trouble transporting the current level of weanlings to the U.S., since there will not be enough trailers and drivers to compensate for the backlog at the U.S. wash stations.
Manitoba Pork urges all producers to contact their Members of Parliament to discuss these concerns. Here is their contact information: Manitoba Members of Parliament – Aug 2015.
Please read the following documents for further information on this disturbing situation:
Memo from George Matheson to all producers – Aug 25 2015
CFIA – Notification of border requirements – Aug 2015
CFIA – Q&A on border requirements – Aug 2015
Source: Manitobapork