Farmscape for November 13, 2009   (Episode 3345)

Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Initiatives has launched a new program under Growing Forward which will help producers with the purchase of needleless injectors.

Needless injectors allow the administration of vaccines and other medications to livestock without the use of needles.

As part of the On-Farm Food Safety Program, offered under the federal-provincial Growing Forward Program, Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Initiatives will provide up to two thousand dollars to be applied toward the purchase of a needleless injector.

Business development specialist for swine Robyn Harte says farmers, their suppliers, assembly yards and livestock haulers are eligible to apply.

Clip-Robyn Harte-Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Initiatives:
Animal welfare is a large component of a needleless injector.

The ease of use is another one but primarily the interest is having to not puncture the animal, reducing its stress and reducing the damage that can come from a needle injector so that's reducing things like abscesses or tears in the skin, those types of things.

The ease of use, which really can't be minimized, is also an important function.

It allows producers to move a lot more easily in the pens to vaccinate the animals and it also allows them to get into perhaps more awkward positions that a regular needle wouldn't allow because you wouldn't be able get the injection angle appropriate.

So needless injectors are devices that allow the user, whether it is a veterinarian or a producer, to deliver vaccine or medication without puncturing the skin as a traditional needle would.

Harte says there are no specific application deadlines but funding is being offered on a first come first served basis.

She recommends obtaining approval prior to purchasing the equipment.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council