Canada’s pork industry welcomes CFIA’s Service statement

 Canadian Pork Council’s Vice Chair Rick Bergmann joined Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Gerry Ritz in announcing the new initiatives. Rick Bergmann stated “ CFIA’s Statement of Rights and Service and the associated Complaints and Appeals system will further strengthen the existing working relationship between the pork industry and CFIA. These tools will clarify the roles of each participant in the value chain and will outline a process to follow up with if further information on a decision or on a regulation is necessary.”

 

 “CFIA plays a significant role in the Canadian pork industry.  To ensure our product is safe and meets high standards for our domestic and international customers, our industry needs to engage with CFIA on a frequent basis. However, our industry is composed of a vast number of players, which include hog producers, live animal transporters, processors, traders, retailers and  foreign government officials,” added Mr. Bergmann.  “This can lead to situations where a “one stop” approach is beneficial to CFIA and other parties involved to register complaints and appeals on decisions and service quality.

 

The Canadian pork industry appreciates the efforts of Agriculture and Agri-Food and CFIA for their dedication and hard work on behalf of producers, processors, traders, exporters and international governments.  CFIA is a strong partner in the pork industry who is also committed to the highest standard of quality, food safety and sustainability. CFIA’s involvement and actions on behalf of the industry are a clear demonstration of the strength of Canada’s food inspection system.

 

Export access is of crucial importance to the Canadian pork industry and CFIA plays a large role in maintaining and growing export markets.  Canadian processing plants slaughtered over 21.3 million hogs in 2011 and live hog exports were a reported at 5.8 million head.  We exported 1.15 million tonnes of pork to over 140 countries that exceed 3.2 billion dollars.   Live swine exports contributed another 400 million dollars to Canada’s merchandise trade account.

 

The CPC serves as the national voice for hog producers in Canada. A federation of nine provincial pork industry associations, our organization’s purpose is to play a leadership role in achieving and maintaining a dynamic and prosperous Canadian pork sector.