by SUSAN MANN
Ontario’s pork producer commodity organization agrees with hog farmers in other provinces who are calling on the federal government to help pay for specific livestock truck washing facilities across Canada.
“From Ontario’s point of view, we think that would be a really good initiative on behalf of the federal government because it would be something that would help not only with porcine epidemic diarrhea but with swine health in general now and into the future,” says Amy Cronin, Ontario Pork chair.
Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is caused by a coronavirus that leads to vomiting and diarrhea in pigs along with high death losses of almost 100 per cent in nursing piglets. Older pigs get widespread diarrhea but can recover. Since January, Ontario has had 54 confirmed cases on farms, mainly in the southwestern part of the province, although there has also been one case in the east on a farm in Leeds-Grenville. There has also been one confirmed case each in Quebec, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island.
PED is not a human health or food safety risk. Is also doesn’t affect other animals besides pigs. Pork is still a safe choice for consumers to eat.
In an April 17 update, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food says PED is considered an emerging significant disease in Ontario and the province’s Animal Health Act requires veterinarians to report suspected cases to the ministry.
The Canadian Pork Council hasn’t made a specific request to the federal government for help to pay for specific truck washing facilities across Canada as a way to help farmers deal with the PED virus. This is just what “provinces are saying we’d like to see,” Cronin says.
Gary Stordy, Council spokesperson, says there have been discussions between the pork industry and the federal and provincial governments on a number of different aspects to PED for the past several months. “Truck washing has been identified as an area where there could be room for improvement.”
Patrick Girard, spokesman for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, says by email the department is in ongoing contact with the Council and the Canadian Swine Health Board to identify opportunities to enhance Canada’s approach to PED.
The agriculture department has been investing in biosecurity measures and collaborating with provinces and the pork sector for some time “to lay the groundwork that has helped producers prepare for these kinds of risks,” he says.
The Council has never raised the idea of implementing specific washing facilities but the notion has been discussed in meetings and general discussions with industry stakeholders and governments as an area “where there are some gaps,” Stordy notes. “It’s clear there is a need for increased truck washing capacity; how that gets done still needs to be discussed.”
The number of truck washing facilities needed across Canada, where they should be located and the amount of money required to pay for them hasn’t been spelled out, Stordy says, noting ‘whether this is completely a government initiative (both federal or provincial), whether this is a commercial opportunity, or a public/private partnership; that level of detail hasn’t been discussed.”
Cronin says “these are just conceptual ideas at this point. It’s something we definitely want to work on and we think that they (the federal government) can support us on.” BF
Comments
The traditional 3 deck pots do not lend them selves too "easy cleaning-disinfecting" especially when dealing with removable floor planks. Some in the US use a 2 deck 53' trailers (like conventional dry box style van) with loading chutes at both levels ,they look like they would be easier too wash ,load and unload as pigs don't have too run up or down chutes in trailer and easier on driver. Ideally a 53' trailer with a tridem small wheel axles like a moving van or car hauler and more height between decks and would give pigs more air ,trucker easier unloading and washing and would only hold about 20 pigs less a load than a 51' pot..just some thoughts-kg kimball
It looks like trucking costs are going to increase no matter how you slice it. Washing adds about $500 and more down time which you have to divide out over the number of pigs on a load. If a better truck that's easier to wash carries fewer pigs and costs more that's significant too. That may not seem important now but when pork prices drop back to normal that will change. Fuel prices are also rising. I see some senators in the US want to subsidize a vaccine for PED so it's only fair for Canada to help our producers.
Why is it that the pork industry thinks it is up to the Federal Gov and the tax payer to pay for truck washing facilities for livestock ? I mean really now when pork prices are at all time highs they are still sucking on the gov teat ! Do these farmers wash their pigs before they load them ? It should be up to the industry or the truckers to pay for wash facilities .
As a pork producer I find it embarrassing that the first thing farmers seem to see as a solution to a problem is government help...but then it isn't only the pig guys it's all farmers. They all want more and more gov't help...and SM is included, it has been shown that they are the lobbyists that take up more of the gov't time than anyone else.
In fact all of society seems to seek more gov't intervention in our lives...then they complain about too many rules and too high taxes. Government was not intended to run our business and our lives...in fact they are the least qualified to do either.
Wow. So, on the day the pigs are shipped, the most stressful day of their lives, when stress diarrhea is going to be a problem, there is no rule that says you have to clean the feces out of the trailer ?!
Amazing. I should say, amazingly short-sighted.
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