Ontario Pork hires provincial biosecurity co-ordinator

Monday, May 16, 2011

by PAT CURRIE

Ontario Pork is promoting on-farm biosecurity with the appointment of a co-ordinator to provide technical support at the provincial level for the Canadian Swine Health Board national biosecurity farm training program.

Dr. Mike DeGroot, a veterinarian with more than 18 years of experience in the swine industry, will provide communication and verification and co-ordinate training at farm level on biosecurity best management practices for Ontario’s producers, farm managers, farm workers and animal health service providers.

Ken Ovington, Ontario Pork’s general manager, said that while the framework and standard for farm biosecurity are national in scope, it is recognized that the most effective and efficient implementation will require a regional approach to Ontario swine herds.

Ontario Pork is providing services and managing the provincial delivery of the best management practices to help to offset some of the costs normally incurred by producers and veterinarians in adopting these standards in their businesses.

Mary Jane Quinn, a senior spokesperson for Ontario Pork, said biosecurity is a term used to describe measures and procedures needed to protect humans against the introduction and spread of diseases though such agencies as domestic, exotic and wild animals.

"Biosecurity on farms is necessary to ensure the health and safety of Ontario’s swine herds . . . It is part of our long-term disease risk management goal that we train and help producers establish biosecurity protocols on their own farms," Quinn said.

She said Dr. DeGroot "will play a vital role in training, communication and accountability to ensure program requirements are met."

Ontario Pork represents the 2,000 Ontario pork growers who generate farm gate sales worth $4.5 billion to the Ontario economy. BF