Earlier this week the federal government announced phase two of a national initiative designed help swine producers reduce the risk of disease.

Phase one, which was launched in response to severe losses in 2006 and 2007 resulting from porcine circovirus associated disease, provided assistance to offset part of the cost of vaccinating swine herds.

Canadian Swine Health Board chairman Florian Possberg says phase two is meant to deal with remaining issues around circovirus, develop strategies to reduce the risk of other diseases and improve biosecurity and disease awareness.

Florian Possberg-Canadian Swine Health Board

We're always faced with disease risks and Canada is not unique.

We probably are in a good position globally however it's always a moving target and since we really have a tough industry to compete in having an edge from a point of view of very good health of our animals is a real plus for our industry.

There's no disease that's imminent to cause us the same sort of issues that circovirus has but when we look back in the rear view mirror circovirus snuck up to us and caused a lot of pain and suffering in our industry so we really need to have a higher level of awareness to protect against future risk.

Mr Possberg applauds the federal government's proactive approach.

He says, if we wait until we have problems and then react, often it's a very expensive process but, if we can prevent these diseases, the whole industry will be better off.

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