Pork barn site visits reach milestone

Thursday, March 8, 2012

by BETTER FARMING STAFF

Ontario Pork recently processed its 500th barn site visit for the National Biosecurity Training Program of the Canadian Swine Health Board. The Canadian Swine Health Board has provided funding to Ontario Pork for an additional 1,000 barn site visits.

Dr. Mike DeGroot, Ontario Biosecurity Program Coordinator for Ontario Pork, says the program has two parts. Farmers meet in groups with a veterinarian for training on best biosecurity practices. Farmers then fill out a self-assessment and that is followed up with a farm visit by the veterinarian.

On the farm visit, DeGroot says, veterinarians make suggestions and tell farmers “where they can improve their biosecurity.”

So far, 1,000 producers have taken the class sessions. DeGroot says they expect class sessions and visits to all 1,500 barn sites will be wrapped up by the end of this year.  BF