Ontario Pork Surpasses Biosecurity Training Target

CANADA - Ontario Pork producers who have not yet taken part in a new national biosecurity training programme are being encouraged to consider doing so, writes Bruce Cochrane.

11 November 2011

3 minute read

North America

A new National Biosecurity Training Programme, launched earlier this year in Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba, was discussed last week as part of the third Canadian Swine Health Forum.

Over two months 600 producer sites in Ontario received training, surpassing the 2011 target of 500 sites and, although no target has been set for 2012, it's anticipated another one thousand sites will receive training.

Dr Mike DeGroot, the biosecurity coordinator with Ontario Pork, says given the short time frame producer response has been exceptional.

Dr Mike DeGroot-Ontario Pork

The training's been introduced nationally to educate producers on the Biosecurity Standard that was developed by the Canadian Swine Health Board so it's a programme designed to educate producers on biosecurity and improve their current biosecurity practices.

The training is being delivered by veterinarians in the province of Ontario.

We have veterinarians that are trained to deliver the programme and they are setting up producer sessions with about 10 to 20 producers per session and they're covering 12 different modules.

They're anything from entry procedures going into a barn, biosecurity zoning and signage, control of rodents, transport, aerosol transmission, basically the 12 modules will cover various aspects of biosecurity.

I think there's an immediate benefit for the producers and the staff of the producers that work in the barn on a day-to-day basis.

For everyone to get trained on what the current knowledge is in biosecurity and what the standards are and how they can improve on-farm, I think a lot of the benefit goes to the producer and the industry in general.

Dr DeGroot says the goal of 500 sites for the training sessions has been surpassed and the vet audits on-farm are just getting started.

He says for people in Ontario if they haven't taken part in the programme, it's a great programme to take part in and he encourages those who have had a training session to contact their herd health vet and have the vet visit done.