The National Farm Animal Council just released this update:
The Code of Practice for the care and handling of pigs was released in 2014. In March 2019 a Code Technical Panel was established to undertake the pig Code’s 5 year review.
The Code Technical Panel (CTP) also needed to address a requirement in Section 1.1.2 of the pig Code that stipulated “greater freedom of movement,” with suitable options being “clarified by the participating stakeholders by July 1, 2019, as informed by scientific evidence.” As such, the decision was made to combine the 5 year Code review process with the Code amendment process, given that an amendment to the pig Code was inevitable. The CTP therefore also served as a Code Amendment Committee with representation from all required twelve participants, from all across Canada in various sectors of hog industry, plus other areas including welfare, retail & food service, researcher and government.
The Five-Year Review Summary Report – Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs outlines the complexities of the issues deliberated by the CTP, the agreements and recommendations made (including proposed amendments to the pig Code), projections for group housing, and a detailed literature review of research priorities and gaps that were identified during the 2014 pig Code’s development. It is a broad summary of the work undertaken by the CTP and provides important context for the proposed amendments to the pig Code.
Unlike a Code update (where the entire Code is open to possible revisions), a Code amendment has a limited scope, relating to a limited set of topics or sections of the Code of Practice. Subsequent to the pig Code’s 5-year Code review, five specific amendments are being proposed within the following sections:
Section 1.1.2 – Gestating Gilts and Sows
Section 1.1.6 – Boars
Section 1.2.1 – Sow Space Allowances
Section 3.4.1 – Recognizing Sickness Behaviour
Section 4.2 – Stockmanship Skills Related to Animal Welfare
The next step in the Code amendment process is the 60-day Public Comment Period (PCP), which begins Monday, September 21, 2020 and ends Thursday, November 19, 2020. The on-line PCP is available from www.nfacc.ca/codes- of-practice/pigs.
While only proposed amendments to the pig Code will be open for public comment, it is important to reflect upon the content of the entire Five-Year Review Summary Report – Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs when providing comments. This is a substantial 137 page report. Hence, we’ve developed a “What You Need to Know” clickable document to highlight helpful details and aid in navigating the report. •