AlaskaDenise
In Memoriam
Published: Friday, December 21, 2007
Only seven of B.C.'s 323 registered broiler-chicken farms have been certified under a biosecurity program established to prevent another avian flu outbreak.
Though the number is low, program co-ordinator Niels Holbek said farmers are not resisting the new mandatory biosecurity, saying the delay is "simply a process issue."
"There's a lineup to be certified," he said yesterday. "There will always be some farmers that resist change, but the industry is almost invariably on-side."
Under the program, which was created in response to the 2004 avian flu outbreak that led to the loss of millions of chickens, farmers must develop a standard operating procedure that adheres to 18 biosecurity standards.
No deadline has been set for compliance with the standards, which include gates, signage and decontamination protocols aimed at preventing the spread of disease. Holbek said he expects the government to require compliance by the end of 2008.
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=e42705d5-3f31-472b-aa79-ddbb034468e1
Only seven of B.C.'s 323 registered broiler-chicken farms have been certified under a biosecurity program established to prevent another avian flu outbreak.
Though the number is low, program co-ordinator Niels Holbek said farmers are not resisting the new mandatory biosecurity, saying the delay is "simply a process issue."
"There's a lineup to be certified," he said yesterday. "There will always be some farmers that resist change, but the industry is almost invariably on-side."
Under the program, which was created in response to the 2004 avian flu outbreak that led to the loss of millions of chickens, farmers must develop a standard operating procedure that adheres to 18 biosecurity standards.
No deadline has been set for compliance with the standards, which include gates, signage and decontamination protocols aimed at preventing the spread of disease. Holbek said he expects the government to require compliance by the end of 2008.
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=e42705d5-3f31-472b-aa79-ddbb034468e1