Biosecurity
A national biosecurity standard has been released that will help Canadian goat producers keep their animals and industry healthy.
The implementation of on-farm biosecurity is a cornerstone to managing the risk of animal disease in Canadian goat herds. Keeping herds disease-free is an important part of ensuring producers are profitable and competitive.
The National Standard is a voluntary educational tool that provides a series of management practices designed to help producers minimize and control the risk of disease entering their farms, or spreading within the farm and to neighbouring farms.
The Standard focuses on six key areas to minimize the risk of disease transmission on-farm:
- Sourcing and introducing animals
- Animal health
- Facility management
- Movement of people, vehicles and equipment
- Monitoring and record keeping
- Communications and training
The National Farm-Level Biosecurity Standard for the Goat Industry was developed over two years through a partnership between the Canadian National Goat Federation (CNGF) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), in collaboration with producers, academia, and provincial governments. Funding was provided by the Growing Forward policy initiative of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. It was designed specifically for the Canadian goat industry, and is applicable to farm operations of all types and sizes.
For a copy of the Standard or to learn more about biosecurity, visit the CFIA’s website at www.inspection.gc.ca/biosecurity.
