The National Biosecurity Training programme is based on the National Farm Level Biosecurity Standard developed by the Canadian Swine Health Board and it was launched earlier this year in Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba.

The programme is being delivered provincially by the various provincial pork organizations and it was discussed last week as part of the third Canadian Swine Health Forum in Niagara Falls.

Dr Brad Chappell, the Provincial Biosecurity Coordinator with Manitoba Pork Council, explains the biosecurity training programme was developed by the Canadian Swine Health Board as part of its mandate to address swine health in Canada.

Dr Brad Chappell-Manitoba Pork Council

The programme was created a few years ago in response to the circovirus crisis that we had in the country where there was federal money put up to form the Canadian Swine Health Board to look at three primary pillars, the biosecurity pillar, the long term risk management and then also the research pillar.

All these pillars are very integral in order to react to a potential emerging disease in the future.

Any producer in Manitoba is eligible as long as they have a valid Canadian Quality Assurance or food safety programme.

They've responded very very well towards to the programme.

We actually tried to have 250 producers registered in the programme but actually we went back and we're at currently the level of trying to have about 500 producers this year so the response has been tremendous.

Dr Chappell observes the new biosecurity training programme has improved the overall image of the pork industry in Manitoba and in Canada.

He notes the hog industry has been very proactive in terms of food safety and suggests anytime you can improve your biosecurity and your food safety at the farm level, it's a benefit to the entire population.

For further information on the National Farm Level Biosecurity Training Programme, contact your provincial pork organization.