More Traceability For Canada's Cows and Milk
CANADA - A dairy sector agri-marketing programme worth almost CAN$100,000 has received dairy industry support.
24 March 2014
2 minute read
The development and implementation of a national dairy traceability scheme and a dairy foods assurance programme has secured close to CAN$945,000.
Dairy Farmers of Canada will receive $416,000 to put a national dairy cattle traceability programme in place, update milk tracing protocols and provide training and support to implement schemes at producer level.
A further $529,000 will go into a national food safety commitment called the proAction Initiative which will train farmers and include pilot farm-level milk tests.
David Wiens, vice-president of Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) said that the announcement will contribute to improvements already in place in Canadian dairying.
"Dairy farmers in Canada already invest in various products and services to improve the quality of milk and care for their animals,” said Mr Wiens.
He added: “As we proceed with the proAction Initiative over the next 10 years, we want to demonstrate to our customers our responsible stewardship to our animals and to the environment, as well as our commitment to produce sustainable, high-quality, safe and nutritious food.”
"We are very grateful for this investment and recognition of our initiative by the federal government."
Speaking on Friday, a DFC spokesperson pointed to the progress made recently in the dairy industry, including $28 million investment in on-time temperature recorders.
This equipment assists in high food standards by ensuring milk is kept cold and cleaning water is hot, DFC explained.
Furthermore, an estimated 70 per cent of Canadian dairymen have an environmental farm plan.
DFC said this is embellished by a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) which measures the environmental footprint of food products.
The spokesperson said: "DFC was the first dairy farm group in the world to include a “social” measurement to its LCA. The dairy LCA is a snapshot in time that helps identify opportunities to enhance sustainable practices."
The latest financial support was announced by Member of Parliament Gord Brown and parliamentary secretary Pierre Lemieux, who said: "Canadian dairy farmers have a reputation for producing high-quality and world-class products. But we can raise that bar even higher.
Mr Lemieux added: “This investment will help the dairy sector demonstrate their commitment to high standards in animal health and food safety, leading to cutting-edge national traceability and assurance programs."
Michael Priestley
News Team - Editor
Mainly production and market stories on ruminants sector. Works closely with sustainability consultants at FAI Farms
