 |
|
|
Quality Starts Here Verified Beef program receives provincial fundingAugust 27, 2002 (Guelph) – A joint application by the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) and Beef Improvement Ontario (BIO), to launch the Quality Starts Here  Verified Beef Production Program in Ontario, has received funding from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, through its Healthy Futures for Agriculture program.The Hon. Helen Johns, Minister of Agriculture and Food, made the announcement at a press conference today before presenting a cheque for $1,017,667 to OCA president Mike Buis and BIO president Elaine Graham. The contribution represents fifty per cent of the total project’s costs. The remainder of the funds will come from OCA and BIO. Both Buis and Graham thanked the Minister for enabling the beef industry to move forward with its food safety agenda. The Quality Starts Here model was initially developed by the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association in 1994 and included a series of good management practice manuals for beef producers. It has now been developed as an on-farm food safety program and will be introduced by provincial cattlemen’s associations, to beef producers across Canada. Ontario is leading the way as the first province to formalize its delivery of this program in a collaborative manner with BIO and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. The intent of this voluntary, industry-lead program is to promote good production practices on the farm that help to ensure food safety, while providing consumers with the assurance that they can have confidence in beef. On-farm verification will include an audit of the producers’ standard operating procedures and supporting management records. The program ties in a feasibility study for creating a geographical information system for Ontario beef producers and incorporates the new national identification program. This initiative will aid smaller processing plants as they implement the Canadian Cattle Identification program. In accepting the cheque from Minister Johns, Buis said, “Consumers have always demanded safe, high quality food products. The beef industry has an excellent track record and the Quality Starts Here Verified Beef Production Program will only help to improve Ontario’s reputation in the global market place.”Said Graham, “"This program is a positive, proactive and absolutely practical way for Ontario producers to approach on-farm food safety issues - it will provide a standard tool to verify practices that are a part of everyday good management strategies to supply safe, high quality beef as efficiently as possible." Pilot projects have already begun to train producers from across the province. The program will be available to all Ontario producers early in 2003. |
