Common Swine Industry Audit Training to be offered in Howard County March 31

The Iowa Pork Industry Center (IPIC) and Iowa State University (ISUEO) Extension and Outreach are teaming up to offer a free session to assist Iowa pork producers prepare for a Common Swine Industry Audit (CSIA).
The program is set for Thursday, March 31 from 1 to 3:30 pm at the Howard County Extension office, 132 First Avenue West in Cresco, according to ISUEO swine specialist Mark Storlie.
“Session attendees will walk through the steps of the audit, evaluate areas for improvement and customize Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to be prepared for the audit process,” Storlie said. “Attendees will be provided a binder and flash drive, including customizable audit materials for their farms, from support by IPPA, IPIC and the Pork Checkoff.”
To pre-register, contact the Howard County Extension office at 563-547-3001.  Questions may be directed to Mark Storlie by phone at 563-425-3331 ormstorlie@iastate.edu.
At the 2013 National Pork Industry Forum, a producer-directed resolution charged the National Pork Board with exploring a credible, affordable solution to assure on-farm animal well-being while reducing burdens of multiple audits and improving audit expectations and consistency. This initiated the Industry Audit Task Force, which included producers, veterinarians, animal scientists, retail and foodservice personnel and packer representatives.
The overarching goal of the audit process is to provide consumers greater assurance of the care taken by farmers and pork processors to improve animal well-being and food safety. The audit tool builds on the existing Pork Quality Assurance® Plus program and expands it to serve as a single, common audit platform for the pork industry.
To learn more about Common Swine Industry Audit, visit the National Pork Board web site at http://www.pork.org/common-industry-audit.