Saskatchewan pork producers are encouraged to submit on-farm emergency response plans by the end of this month. Saskatchewan Pork producers have until the end of this month qualify for financial assistance from Sask Pork for the establishment of on-farm emergency response plans to be triggered in the event of an accident, disease outbreak or market disruption that requires mass euthanization of pigs.
Dr. Wendy Wilkins, a Disease Surveillance Veterinarian with Saskatchewan Agriculture, says the plan is usually created by the farm owner, operator or barn manager, but it's important that all farm workers review and understand the plan.
Clip-Dr. Wendy Wilkins-Saskatchewan Agriculture:
In an emergency these are the people who are going to be doing the work at hand and no one should be performing any of these tasks until they've been properly briefed, not just on their own specific day to day responsibilities but also on workplace safety, animal health and animal welfare considerations. When developing the plan some of the key consideration that producers need to include is first, animal welfare, making sure that the animals always have access to food, water, shelter and adequate space even in extreme circumstances.