Revamp coming for Canada’s national pig code

Glacier FarmMedia — Canada’s nationwide pig code is getting an replace.

‘We’ve launched the code of observe with the Nationwide Farm Animal Care Council,” stated Stephen Heckbert, govt director of the Canadian Pork Council.

The Code of Apply for the Care and Dealing with of Pigs will likely be guided by the event course of set out by the Nationwide Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC), the spearheading physique for Canada’s numerous livestock codes.

The pork trade is “engaged on creating our place,” Heckbert stated.

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WHY IT MATTERS: Nationwide codes for the care and dealing with of various livestock species are periodically arrange for evaluation and updating.

The final time the code was up for evaluation, the large story was the deliberate phase-out of gestation crates. That 2014 doc set out a deadline of 2024 for trade to make the swap. In 2019, there was a five-year evaluation of the code.

The NFACC proposed an extension, which might push the deadline again till 2029. The problem hit limbo, nevertheless, after the code’s modification committee was not capable of attain a collective choice.

The Canadian Pork Council stays dedicated to transitioning to group sow housing by 2029, Heckbert stated.

“That’s the place we’ve had, and it’s the place that we’ve re-affirmed with our provincial pork organizations,” he stated. “That’s the transfer that producers will likely be making over the following couple of years, as they spend money on their barns and as they make that transition,”

The Manitoba Pork Council estimates that over half of the province’s hog barns have converted to group housing, based on their web site.

Launching a code replace

The most recent replace to the pig code started in September 2024. The code committee, which is endeavor the evaluation, embrace pork producers, authorities representatives, scientists, veterinarians and folks representing the Canadian agriculture and meat sector.

As a part of the hassle, a survey was opened Might 15, 2025, and was set to shut June 4.

The survey is designed to seize ideas on animal welfare from all stakeholders. Enter obtained will assist the committee perceive the problems folks want to see within the code’s replace.

A public remark interval can be scheduled from fall 2026 to winter 2027. Code updates are predicted to be accomplished by March 2028.

The burden of Prop 12

Proposition 12 is one other, associated phrase on loads of pork sector lips because the code replace continues.

The piece of California state laws — additionally known as the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative — states that veal calves, breeding pigs and egg laying hens have to be housed in ways in which adjust to sure requirements for freedom of motion, cage-free design and specified minimal ground area.

The weeks and months previous to the laws coming into pressure featured heated dialogue on how Canada’s pork manufacturing would play with Prop 12.

What’s to come back?

Talking on the Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium in November, Heckbert instructed trade attendees that he anticipated enrichment and probably extra sustainability tips to search out their manner into the brand new code. He additionally careworn that the conversations have been maintaining farm economics in thoughts.

“My actual hope is that we keep away from any huge infrastructure change with this code. The shift to group housing has been sufficient of an infrastructure change … That will be my primary,” he instructed symposium attendees.

In newer feedback to the C0-operator, he famous that particulars of the code will likely be determined by the Canadian Pork Council, the Nationwide Farm Animal Care Council and the code committee members.

“This will likely be a collaborative course of,” he stated. “It’s one of many nice issues about working with NFACC, as a result of everybody understands that there are animal welfare needs, and there’s additionally the financial viability and stability of the trade. Plenty of conversations are going to occur round that desk,” he stated.

The NFACC’s beef cattle, equine, sheep and poultry codes are additionally being up to date. — With information from Janelle Rudolph