October 2, 2014 – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Agriculture and Agri-food Canada
A new, national accreditation program focused on quality, food safety and animal welfare will be implemented on Manitoba’s dairy farms with financial support provided through Growing Forward 2, Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced today.
The four-year, $525,000 project will put an integrated on-farm assessment and accreditation process in place for Manitoba’s dairy farms, which will result in them being recognized under the national proAction initiative. The focus on quality, safety, and animal care will help ensure Manitoba milk will continue to be produced safely and responsibly.
The program will be implemented by the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba (DFM). As part of the process, milk quality audits and other on-farm assessments currently conducted by the provincial government will be combined with the proAction requirements into a single farm visit from DFM. Two new jobs will be created at the organization to support this work.
Funding for this project is provided through Growing Forward 2 - Growing Assurance. In Manitoba, the federal and provincial governments are investing $176 million under Growing Forward 2, a five-year, federal-provincial-territorial policy framework to advance the agriculture industry, helping producers and processors become more innovative and competitive in world markets.
For more information about Manitoba's dairy farms and the proAction initiative, visit www.milk.mb.ca and www.dairyfarmers.ca/what-we-do/programs/the-proaction-initiative-on-farm-excellence.
Emily Hogeveen
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Gerry Ritz
613-773-1059
Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
613-773-7972
1-866-345-7972
Follow us on Twitter: @AAFC_Canada
Caedmon Malowany
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Ron Kostyshyn
204 945-1494
