Manitoba Pork Encourages U.S. Adoption of Swine Movement Traceability

Manitoba Pork Chair George Matheson suggests a U.S. system for tracing swine movements, modeled after the one being used in Canada, would help protect swine heath in both countries.

by Bruce Cochrane – FarmScape Online

“PED had a big impact in 2014 in the United States but you don’t hear about that so much these days,” Matheson told FarmScape Online. “But in Manitoba it had a big impact last year. We’ve had nine cases so far this year.”

“If we can work together it will mean protecting the pig herd in Canada and the U.S.”

 

International trade, public relations and social license and swine health were among the topics discussed earlier this month when representatives of Manitoba Pork travelled to Des Moines, Iowa for the 30th anniversary edition of World Pork Expo. Matheson began attending the annual event 10 years ago as a delegate, says relations among U.S. and Canadian producers where then and are still strong and their issues are our issues.

“We’re trying to keep it contained,” he added. “We do have traceability in Canada as far as pig movement, and we’d like to see that take place in the U.S. so that they can track disease transfers as well.

Matheson says the U.S. and Canadian pork sectors are not separate industries.

“If we can work together to know where these diseases are, track them, know where they can be contained and do what we do best in regards to biosecurity, it will mean protecting the pig herd in Canada. But we also want to see the pig herd protected in the U.S. as well.”

He says Canadian and U.S. producers enjoy working together and will face the challenges together, enjoy the good times together, and deal with the bad times together.