NFACC Information Update: May 2013

In this issue:

• Registration now open for the National Farm Animal Care Conference
• Recently released reports
• Codes of Practice update
• Animal Care Assessment Model update
• Upcoming events

Recently released reports

Project Achievements Report

NFACC has released its Project Achievements Report 2012/2013.

The report summarizes how federal government project support through Agriculture and Agri-Food’s Agricultural Flexibility Fund has enabled NFACC to engage stakeholders in addressing animal welfare and meeting market expectations.

Animal Welfare Dilemma of a Market Breakdown Workshop Report

In March NFACC hosted a workshop titled “Animal Welfare Dilemma of a Market Breakdown” to initiate discussions among key stakeholders about the animal welfare concerns that would arise if such an event were to occur in the future in Canada.

The issue, and an effective system to deal with the animal welfare concerns, is very complex and highly variable depending on the cause and scope of the breakdown. The workshop was intended as a first step toward creating a Canadian system that will responsibly and credibly address animal welfare in a market breakdown situation. The workshop report is available at www.nfacc.ca/crisis-preparedness.

Codes of practice update

Following is an update of each Code that is under revision:

Beef Cattle – the public comment period is complete. The Code Development Committee (CDC) is considering the feedback received, will revise the Code as needed and submit a final Code to NFACC. The Code is expected to be released in August.

Equine – the public comment period is complete. The CDC has considered the feedback received and is preparing to submit a final Code to NFACC. The final Code is expected to be released in June.

Farmed Fox – revisions to the fox Code are complete. The new farmed fox Code is now available at www.nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice/farmed-fox.

Mink – the CDC has considered the feedback received from the public comment period and presented the final Code to NFACC. The Code is now being prepped for publication, it will be available by the end of May.

Pig – the CDC has submitted the draft Code to NFACC. The draft Code is being prepared for the 60-day public comment period that is scheduled to begin June 1.

Poultry (Chickens, Turkeys and Breeders) – the Scientific Committee (SC) report is undergoing peer review. The official CDC held its first meeting on March 1.

Poultry (Layers) – work continues on the SC report. Priority welfare issues included in the report can be found at www.nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice/poultry-layers.

Sheep – the SC report has been peer reviewed and finalized. The CDC, utilizing the SC report, continues to work on the revised Code. The draft Code will be ready for public comment over the summer.

Visit www.nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice for more details on the Codes and the revision process.

Animal Care Assessment Model Update

Animal Care Assessment Model (ACAM) - provides a credible process to follow when developing an animal care assessment program.

Animal Care Assessment Program (ACAP) - Dairy Farmers of Canada are test piloting the ACAM process through the development of their ACAP. The dairy ACAP is based on the Code of Practice for the care and handling of dairy cattle.

Test Pilot – a test pilot of the draft dairy ACAP is underway in several provinces. The pilot will run to mid-June. Canadian Quality Milk (CQM) coordinators who are involved in the test pilot attended a training session in April at the Dairy Research Farm in Alfred, Ontario (University of Guelph-Alfred Campus). The training was structured to simulate the steps required to conduct the test pilot.

Next Steps - once the dairy test pilot is complete the ACAM steering committee will consider the feedback from the dairy ACAP development team and amend the ACAM as needed. The ACAM will be finalized by December 2013.

Agri-Flexibility Project

Addressing Domestic and International Market Expectations Relative to Farm Animal Welfare – a project made possible through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Agricultural-Flexibility Fund.

Thanks to funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Agricultural Flexibility Fund, NFACC is providing the Canadian livestock and poultry value chain with tools to address market challenges, opportunities, and societal expectations relative to animal welfare, through the following activities:

• the development or revision of current Codes of Practice,
• the piloting, testing, and finalization of the Animal Care Assessment Model,
• the communication and promotion of current Canadian farm animal welfare activities.

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