Meeting its commitment to animal welfare, Cargill Pork recently held a live accident response training session at its pork processing plant in Ottumwa, IA, attended by deputy sheriffs and 13 TriOak Foods pork producers from multiple counties in Iowa.

Livestock transportation trainer Jennifer Woods of Blackie, Ontario, Canada provided classroom instruction in behavior and handling of stressed swine, responding to live haul incidents, barn fires and weather-related disasters, security, public perception, and most importantly, euthanasia training. Cargill has trained 77 employees to handle incidents involving swine.

“Cargill is proud to be working with local authorities, live haul trucking firms and our producers in this important initiative,” says Wendy Baker, manager of animal welfare at the Ottumwa plant. “This event marks a milestone in the industry, as everyone is involved in improving the well-being of animals from the farm to transport to the plant. When we work together, we can ensure that if and when a rollover accident occurs, we all will do the right thing to respond to the situation.”

Cargill was founded in 1865 and is a privately held company that employs 160,000 people in 67 countries.