Charlottetown, PEI (Rural Roots Canada) – The federal government is providing more than $ 3.1 million to improve the detection and monitoring of swine diseases across Canada.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald announced Friday that the money will go to the Canadian Pork Council through the AgriAssurance Program.
The funding will support the development, validation and upgrading of multiplex assay technologies, which are laboratory tests capable of screening for multiple domestic swine viruses from a single sample.
The project will also establish a targeted national proficiency program aimed at ensuring consistent testing among veterinary laboratories across Canada, as well as a secure surveillance database to track swine viruses.
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“Our pork producers care deeply about their animals and work hard to protect them against infectious diseases,” said MacDonald. “By investing in swine health surveillance solutions, we are continuing to equip the industry with the tools it needs to detect and respond quickly.”
The work is based at the Atlantic Veterinary College and will involve veterinary practitioners, veterinary laboratories and industry.
Disease outbreaks can affect animal welfare, food supplies and productivity, while creating significant economic losses for producers. It can also affect producer mental health.
“Early swine health detection is one of our strongest defences in protecting our herd and maintaining affordable and high-quality Canadian pork products,” added Rene Roy, Chair of the Canadian Pork Council. “The Canadian Pork Council is pleased to collaborate with the Atlantic Veterinary College and partners across veterinary medicine, laboratories, industry and government to turn better surveillance into faster action and stronger protection for Canadian pork producers.”
Canada’s pork sector contributes to an estimated 100,000 direct and indirect jobs, and generates over $24 billion per year to the economy.
