Thursday, October 18, 2012

Sow housing conference Nov. 20


The Ontario Pork Industry Council, the Ontario Swine Health Advisory Board and the Ontario Pork marketing board have organized a meeting on sow housing Nov. 20 at the Arden Park Hotel in Stratford.

The meeting comes after a summer when a host of retailers have, under pressure from the Humane Society of United States, set deadlines to stop buying pork that involves housing sows in gestation crates.

The meeting will outline the issues under review as the industry updates its animal welfare Code of Practice, the lobbying that has prompted retailers to take a stand on gestation stalls and briefings from hog farmers about practical solutions.

Registrations, which cost $15 for members, $25 for non-members and are free for producers, can be obtained from Linda Dillon at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs office at Clinton – 519-482-5031 or linda.dillon.@ontario.ca .