Opinion:CFIA should heed science, as it always claims to do

Oct 25, 2022

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s livestock transport regulations appear to be a compromise between science and popular opinion.

In fact, the agency has said as much.

CFIA’s new policy requires the offloading of cattle for eight hours after 36 hours of travel. But another federal government department has research that contradicts the need for weaned or fat calves — the ones most likely to see longer rides — to be unloaded, fed, watered, rested and reloaded.

Three scientific studies by Agriculture Canada have concluded that the above-noted CFIA regulation brings no benefit. The science suggests that offloading and reloading delays arrival with little to no benefit for the cattle, potentially increasing the risk of injury and threatening biosecurity.

Domestically, cattle moving to and from Alberta or Saskatchewan and Ontario would be the most likely loads affected by the new rules. Stops in Thunder Bay are now required to meet regulations and investments have been made there to accommodate the added livestock traffic.

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Video: Season 7, Episode 1: Managing Risk and Seeing Opportunities in U.S. Pork Production

Today’s episode features three guests discussing the similarities and differences between pork production in the United States and Brazil, along with strategies for managing risk in today’s industry while recognizing and acting on opportunities. First, Dr. Anne Caroline de Lara, executive manager of live pig production at Seara Alimentos, a JBS company in Brazil, is joined by Dr. Matthew Turner, head of operations for JBS Live Pork. Together, they discuss how labor, climate and ventilation challenges vary between Brazil and the United States, while underscoring their shared commitment to raising healthy pigs. They also point to lessons producers in both countries can take from one another’s systems and on-farm experiences. Then, Brady Reicks, risk manager at Reicks View Farms, shares his perspective on risk management, drawing from his background in markets and his transition into farming. He discusses how protecting margins varies by operation and offers practical approaches producers can use to make marketing and business decisions with greater confidence rather than hesitation.

Both conversations were recorded at recent industry events focused on swine livability, including the International Conference on Pig Livability and Iowa Swine Day.