March 30, 2016
CVMA sets standards for the care and welfare of livestock
The China Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) has recently held a conference in Beijing to improve and standardise the welfare of livestock in the animal husbandry and veterinary industry.
A standardised welfare framework is to be determined to ensure that broilers, layers, beef cattle, dairy cattle, and swine are given basic care during breeding, transporting and slaughtering.
Technical indicators are to be placed for feed management, environmental control, basic healthcare, prevention and control of epidemic diseases, biosecurity, euthanasia (emergency slaughter), proper treatment and disposal of livestock before, during and after slaughtering, so as to better monitor and determine that basic welfare requirements are met.
The China Institute of Veterinary Drug Control, China Animal Health and Epidemiology Center, and China Veterinary Medical Association will be pioneering this project. In addition, more than 30 leading enterprises in the food and animal husbandry industry such as McDonald''s, Nestle, Chia Tai Group, Fonterra, Yum!, Cargill, Tyson, New Hope Liuhe, and Shuanghui Group, are also involved.
"Currently, the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code has already established the welfare standards for breeding, transporting and slaughtering. China is a key member of OIE, and China''s National Chief Veterinary Officer, Zhang Zhong Qiu, is also the chairman for OIE Asia-Pacific region. Animal veterinary is the key to improve animal welfare, hence the standardising works conducted by the veterinary authorities and trade associations is of utmost importance and urgency," said Dr. Sun Zhong Chao, CVMA project director for animal welfare.
CVMA welfare branch president, Chang Zhi Gang added, "Standardising animal welfare will help to strengthen the prevention of epidemic diseases, and improve the health and quality of livestock which will in turn raise market competitiveness."
It is understood that the first draft will be completed by May 2016. Afterwhich, it will be released to the public such as animal husbandry and veterinary authorities, industry associations, domestic breeding, slaughtering and food enterprises, multinational food companies, and NGO organisations for feedback and comments in the next two months.