Mission
To provide a forum to facilitate the development and coordination of Ontario's strategy to deal with foreign animal disease and other transmissible livestock and poultry diseases and hazards.
Mandate
To provide a forum of the collective leadership to:
- coordinate industry input into the development and implementation of Regulations under the Animal Health Act, 2009;
- advocate for adequate funding for the office of the Chief Veterinarian for Ontario and Animal Health Lab to allow them to properly resource activities under the authorities of the Animal Health Act, 2009;
- discuss a multi-species strategy to assist commodity groups and other stakeholders to prevent, control, and manage foreign animal diseases and other transmissible livestock and poultry diseases and hazards;
- provide a venue for information sharing and liaison with government ministries and amongst agricultural groups;
- promote disease simulation exercises;
- coordinate biosecurity strategies between all stakeholders and with government; provide a communications coordination function on behalf of members through issues scanning and dissemination of information on disease alerts and biosecurity related issues;
- and consider methods to mitigate the effects of an animal disease outbreak.