Biosecurity training reaches 1,000 Ontario pork producers

Monday, January 28, 2013

by BETTER FARMING STAFF

Ontario has reached a milestone in the delivery of the Canadian Swine Health Board’s National Biosecurity Training program.  

Ontario Pork, which delivers the program provincially, has processed 1,000 barn site visits, which include a training session from a certified veterinarian and an opportunity for producers to self-assess current biosecurity practices and develop an action plan to improve on-farm biosecurity. That is followed by a herd-health veterinarian visit to review the action plan and make further recommendations to enhance biosecurity.

Producers are eligible to receive $150 per barn site and to receive additional funding for multiple sites as long as different personnel are exposed to the training at each site. Producers also receive $500 per barn site for self-assessment and an additional $500 per barn site to cover the cost of the follow-up vet visit.

Ontario Pork represents 1,600 farmers who market hogs in the province. Veterinarian Mike DeGroot, Ontario Pork’s biosecurity coordinator, says funding for the program ends in March. However, they hope to complete the program with at least 200 more producers before that time.

“It’s a voluntary program.” DeGroot says, “so I don’t expect we’ll get 1,600 but we hope to get closer to that number, probably over 1,200.” He says the program increases awareness among producers about what they can do to increase biosecurity.

“They still have to implement whatever they learn, but I think it’s a good first step,” DeGroot says. BF