Establishment of Zoning Agreements Top Priority for Canadian Pork Sector

The Veterinary Counsel with the Canadian Pork Council says the establishment of zoning agreements to preserve international market access for uninfected regions in the event of a foreign animal disease outbreak is a top pork sector priority

by Bruce Cochrane – Farmscape.ca 

African Swine Fever, Canadian Zoning and Compartmentalization was among the topics discussed yesterday as part of the weekly online session of Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium 2020.

Dr. Egan Brockhoff, the Veterinary Counsel with the Canadian Pork Council and a member of the Swine Innovation Porc Coordinated African Swine Fever Research Working Group, says first and foremost zoning is a control tool the CFIA puts in place to stop the movement of disease.

“Zoning agreements really remain a key priority for Canadian Pork Council and our colleagues at the Canadian Meat Council and Canada Pork International”

“Canada does currently have zoning agreements in place. We have a zoning agreement in place with the European Union and we have a zoning agreement in place with the United States.

“These are bilateral trade agreements.

“They have been activated in the past with high pathogen Avian influenza and so we do have some experience with bringing those to the market.

“Zoning agreements really remain a key priority for Canadian Pork Council and our colleagues at the Canadian Meat Council and Canada Pork International.

“Our desire and need to ensure business continuity is absolutely critical.
Today we have those two agreements in place and a lot of work is being put forward right now to expand beyond just the walls of those two agreements.

“We’re looking at agreements with other key trading partners including Japan and other southeast Asian countries.

“Zoning agreements remain an absolute critical market access tool but also a critical disease control tool for the Canadian Pork Council.”

Dr. Brockhoff says, in the event of a foreign animal disease, once a zone has been established, discussions aimed at restoring exports can begin.

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