Canadian Pork Producers Prepare for Animal Care Assessments

May 24, 2006 — 

Canadian pork producers are preparing to undergo certification beginning next year to meet the quidelines set forth in the Canadian Pork Council's Animal Care Assessment (ACA).

The ACA is a stand alone voluntary component of the Canadian Quality Assurance (CQA) program designed to address farm animal well-being. Training is currently on-going to certify validators to conduct producer assessments. The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) notes there are currenlty approximately 100 CQA certified validators trained to conduct assessments in the prairie provinces.

Some producers have expressed concern over the space allowance requirements in the assessment. They question whether farms will be able to meet the requirements during the late finisher phase. The current ACA manual provides a chart displaying floor space requirements by weight and floor type. For example, a 110 lb pig on a fully slatted floor should be given 5.2 sq. ft per pig vs. a 242 lb pig which would require 8.7 sq. ft. The CPC is reviewing those requirements and indicates they will be addressed over the next year or so. The Manitoba Pork Council has decided to wait until they can review the final space allowance requirements before encouraging widespread adoption of the program to producers in the province.

Source:
Farmscape.ca, (Episodes: 2146, 2147 and 2148)

Canadian Pork Council?s Animal Care Assessment Manual