The Canadian Swine Health Board is optimistic the effort to reduce the risk of disease impacting Canada’s swine herd will receive the funding necessary to allow it to continue.
The Canadian Swine Health Board was formed in 2009 with funding provided by the federal government to help respond to a porcine circovirus epidemic and to take the lead in developing strategies to prepare for future emerging diseases.
With the original federal funding agreement due to expire at the end of March efforts are underway to develop a new funding arrangement that will allow the work to continue.
Canadian Swine Health Board Chair Florian Possberg reports the provincial pork organizations have agreed to a levy which will provide some funding, other industry players have indicated they are willing to consider participation and the federal government is being asked to reallocate money previously committed.
As far as the federal government is concerned, when our industry slowed down, had some rough spots last summer we actually slowed down our spending and, the way our contribution agreement was written, the funds we had available we needed to either spend them or lose them and we determined that it was not good policy, the best way to spend our money, to keep spending it as the original contribution agreement stated so there was significant dollars that we have requested the federal government to roll into another two year period.
That request was formally made last November and is before the agriculture department people right now.
Possberg acknowledges the request to reallocate the funding is still being considered but he is optimistic that, in recognition of the very significant initiatives that have been started, the work of the Canadian Swine Health Board will continue.
