On-farm food safety and health are just two of the benefits of continued financial support of the Livestock Medicine Education Program (LMEP) by the Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC) says LMEP Chair, Grant McLaren.

Since 1998, the AAC has committed $1.07 million in funding support on total budgeted project costs of more than $2.1 million, in partnership with a number of commodity and industry organizations, to improve consumer safety and animal health through the LMEP courses and manuals.

“Feedback from individual producers shows that more than 90% of participants feel that the program is providing important information and is a positive factor in establishing food safety and quality in the livestock industry," says McLaren.

Safe handling and responsible use of livestock medicine on the farm - the focus of LMEP - have the potential to not only improve food safety and animal health, but also increase returns to producers and build consumer confidence. Certification from the LMEP program is required by a number of the Quality Assurance programs in Ontario and in the near future, will be required under provincial regulations for all livestock producers to purchase medication for on-farm use.

To date more than 8,600 producers have registered in 600 courses that are offered across the province. AAC project partners include Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Ontario Pork, Ontario Cattlemen's Association, Ontario Veal Association, Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency, Ontario Goat Breeder's Association, Poultry Industry Council, Ontario Deer and Elk Farmers Association, Ontario Commercial Rabbit Growers Association, Ontario Fur Breeders Association, Ontario Beekeepers Association, and the equine industry.

"The LMEP is pleased with the uptake of the program by individual producers and the number of commodity groups that are developing species-specific programs,” says McLaren.

The AAC is a non-profit coalition of 55 agricultural, agri-business and rural organizations working together to support Ontario’s agricultural sector and rural communities. The AAC receives its funding through Ontario’s share of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Adaptation Rural Development Fund

-30-

For more information:

Mary Jarvis Program Coordinator, AAC Tel: (519) 822-7554 Mary's e-mail

Joanne Mervin Program Coordinator, LMEP Tel: (519) 674-1576 or 1-877-480-9992 jmervin@ridgetownc.uoguelph.ca