Draft beef cattle Code of Practice released for public comment
(Ottawa) 08 January 2013 – The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) and the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) are pleased to announce the launch of the public comment period on the draft Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle. The draft Code can be viewed at nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice/beef-cattle until March 8, 2013. Comments must be submitted through the online system at nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice/beef-cattle and easy to follow instructions are provided.
Cattle producers, consumers, and others with an interest in the welfare of beef cattle, are encouraged to provide input to ensure that this Code reflects a common understanding of beef cattle care expectations and science-based recommended practices in Canada.
A Scientists’ Committee report summarizing research on priority welfare topics for beef cattle can be found online alongside the draft Code. This peer-reviewed report aided the discussions of the Code Development Committee as they prepared the draft Code of Practice.
“The Code Development Committee is a great representation of interested stakeholders. This public comment period really allows us to check our work with an even more representative group,” said Ryder Lee, CCA Manager of Federal and Provincial Relations. “I encourage producers to weigh in and make their points known as the Code will be an important tool for communicating how beef cattle are raised in Canada. The more producers that review the Code the more certain we can be that the final Code will represent how cattle are raised across Canada.”
“The Code process provides an important opportunity for advancing farm animal welfare policy in Canada,” said Geoff Urton of the B.C. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), which represents the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies. “We hope to receive broad input both from industry professionals and the general public to ensure this Code will improve animal welfare and reflect the values of Canadians.”
The Code Development Committee leads the Code revision process. The Committee includes participants from across Canada representing the diversity of the industry leads the Code revision process. Committee members include producers, animal welfare and enforcement representatives, researchers, transporters, processors, veterinarians and government representatives. The final beef cattle Code of Practice will be released Summer 2013. More information on the Code development process is available at nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice.
The beef cattle Code is one of eight Codes of Practice currently under revision as part of a multi-year NFACC project. Codes of Practice serve as our national understanding of animal care requirements and recommended practices. It is important Codes be scientifically informed, practical and reflect societal expectations for responsible farm animal care. The Codes cover housing, feed and water, handling, euthanasia, transport and other important management practices.
Funding for the Codes of Practice is provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Agricultural Flexibility Fund, under the Addressing Domestic and International Market Expectations Relative to Farm Animal Welfare initiative, as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan.
About the National Farm Animal Care Council
NFACC is a collaborative partnership of diverse stakeholders created in 2005 to share information and work together on farm animal care and welfare. It is the national lead for farm animal care issues in Canada. NFACC would like to acknowledge the Canadian Animal Health Coalition (CAHC) for their role in securing funding for this project. For more information on NFACC visit nfacc.ca.
About the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association
As the national “voice” of Canada’s 83,000 beef producers, CCA’s structure represents every phase of the production system; the purebred, cow/calf, backgrounding and feedlot sectors. The association was founded by producers and is led by a producer-elected board of directors from across Canada. The CCA works with other sectors of the agriculture and food industries on matters of mutual concern. For more information about the CCA, please visit cattle.ca.
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For more information contact:
- Jackie Wepruk, General Manager & Project Coordinator, National Farm Animal Care Council, (403) 783-4066, nfacc@xplornet.com, nfacc.ca
- Ryder Lee, Manager of Federal & Provincial Relations, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, (613) 233-9375, rlee@cattle.ca, cattle.ca
