Red Deer Swine Tech
Planning is complete for the 2015 Red Deer Swine Technology Workshop. Mark your calendars for Wednesday October 21st in Red Deer at the Sheraton.
Some topics include: Antibiotic benchmark and resistance; Animal welfare audits; Understanding date; Foreign worker programs; Pain mitigation and the Code of Practice plus others.
Registration is $80 each, or get five registrations for the price of four.
For further information, sponsorship and registration contact Kate Cheney at 403.244.7821 or email
kate@conventionall.com  •

Aherne Awards
Last Chance
Do you know of an innovator who should be recognized? Someone who has developed an original solution to answer a pork production challenge? Or found a creative use of a known technology?
The Banff Pork Seminar is proud to offer a chance for you to “strut your stuff” as a technology innovator and show the rest of us how to put it into practice!
The Dr. FX Aherne Prize for Innovative Pork Production recognizes innovators involved in the pork industry who are making a difference by applying new technologies or management techniques.
Innovators can win valuable prizes and free registration to the 2016 Banff Pork Seminar, January 12-14; you’ll be recognized by your peers and the pork industry and have a chance to present your solution at the 2016 Banff Pork Seminar.
Please nominate yourself, or apply on behalf of an innovator that deserves to be recognized. Help us to find these innovators and encourage them to apply for the Dr. FX Aherne Prize for Innovative Pork Production.
Specifically, we are looking for innovators who are capable of taking a new research concept, a technology, or even a management concept and apply it successfully in the production of pork. Innovations may be related to, but are not limited to, one of the following areas: Productivity, Profitability, Working Conditions, Animal Well Being, Reduced Environmental Impact, Pork Quality and Safety.
Anyone who has developed a solution to a pork production challenge may enter. Innovations must be relevant to North American pork production but do not necessarily have to be currently in use in Canada at the time of application.
Application and more information is available online at www.banffpork.ca. Applications must be received by October 31, 2015. Apply today!
Please contact Conference Coordinator Ashley Steeple at 780.492.3651 or
pork@ualberta.ca with questions.  •

Alberta Pork AGM
The Alberta Pork Annual General Meeting will be at the Carriage House Inn in Calgary on Thursday November 5.
The tentative agenda starts with the business meeting at 10 am, followed by info sessions on labour issues and farm safety in the afternoon.
For information contact Geoff Geddes at Alberta Pork at 780.440.8460 or email: geoff.geddes@albertapork.com  •

SASK Pork Industry Symposium
Be sure to write down November 17th & 18th, that will be the 38th installment of the  Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium.
The symposium will be at the Saskatoon Inn. The two day symposium highlights are, day one get back to the basics of rasing pigs. Where as the second day focuses on swine health and biosecurity, economics plus state of the industry.
Check out ad on page 30 for more details.
For more information please contact Symposium co ordinator Kim Browne at 306.343.3506 or emailkbrowne@saskpork.com  •

Hog Days
Brandon will play host for Hog Days in December. The one day show will be held at the Keystone Centre in BrandonWednesday December 2nd from 10 am – 4:30 pm. Lunch tickets can be purchased on site.
Back is the ever popular Pork Quality Competition, the winners will be announced at 4:15 pm. For details on the carcass competition contact Ron Bazylo at 204.572.5282.
Also making a return is the Best Make & Bake 2015. For more information contact Helen Waldner at 204.272.5122
For information on the trade show please contact Everlito Mendoza, trade show co ordinator at 204.346.6080 or email
everlito.mendoza@gov.mb.ca.  •

Banff Pork Seminar
2016 Banff Pork Seminar is January 12-14, 2016. A few of the featured speakers are: Dr. Temple Grandin, Michael McCain, Rui Eduardo Saldanha Vargas, Joe Schwarcz, Dr. Doug MacDougald, Rick Peters, Mike Tokach, Ruurd Zijlstra, Rob Knoz, Dr. Larry Coleman, Tim Friedel, Ron Ketchem, Dr. Gail Cunningham, and Francis Simard
This years seminar is being held at the Banff Springs Hotel. Reservations can be made at the Banff Springs Hotel through link on the banffpork.ca website. Rooms are reasonable, be where all the events will take place.
Online registration now open  for the seminar.
Check out www.banffpork.ca, for more details and information.
Please contact Conference Coordinator Ashley Steeple at 780.492.3651 or pork@ualberta.ca with questions.  •

Manitoba Swine
Seminar
Speakers are confirmed for the annual Manitoba Swine Seminar, be sure to mark down February 3 & 4, 2016 . The MSS will be held at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg, adjacent to the Winnipeg International airport.
For details and information contact Dallas Ballance conference manager at 204.475.8585 or email
dallas@goodwinballance.ca   •

Cramer Livestock Expo
Mark your calendars for the sixth annual Cramer Livestock Nutrition Expo. The one day trade show will take placeThursday February 18th in Swift Current at Kinetic Park. Exhibitors packages are available, dont’ delay the show is already 65% sold out..
For details and information contact tradeshow co ordinator Kelly Turcotte at 306.737.6262 or email
kelly_turcotte@hotmail.com  •

Alberta Pork
Congress
The dates for the 42nd annual Alberta Pork Congress are June 15 & 16, 2016.
Online registration will be available soon at albertaporkcongress.com
For details or information contact Kate Cheney at 403.244.7821 or email kate@conventionall.com  •

Topigs Norsvin
Canada Acquires
Signature Genes
Topigs Norsvin Canada Inc. announced recently that it has purchased the swine genetics & business operations of Signature Genes of Ste. Anne, Manitoba.
The Signature Genes Duroc herd is a high-health, elite population of high quality Durocs that is well known in Manitoba and western Canada. Established in 1981, this herd has been performance tested for more than 30 years. Throughout these years, the use of the most modern testing methods has been applied. Measurement and selection for backfat, growth rate, feed conversion and meat quality have made the Signature Duroc desirable by producers and packers alike.
Topigs Norsvin Canada General Manager, Cam McGavin comments “The completion of this purchase is the result of several years of planning. The merger of TOPIGS & Norsvin in 2014 brought the Norsvin Duroc line to Canada. Now with the acquisition of the Signature Duroc we will be able to offer two very distinct Duroc lines to our customers. As with all of our lines, we will apply the very best methods of genetic improvement and technology to the Signature lines.”
The Signature Duroc boars and semen are currently available at several AI studs in Canada with new opportunities being pursued.  •

More Pigs to Market
Recently, the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA) commissioned a study that noted Alberta’s hog industry has been fairly stable of late but could improve by strengthening its infrastructure.
With the closure of a northern Alberta hog slaughtering plant, Country Quality Meat Cutting Ltd. (Country Quality) saw an opportunity to strengthen that infrastructure.
Country Quality added hog slaughter to its operations, and with help from ALMA, purchased new equipment to implement a weekly hog slaughtering operation.
“We knew something had to be done,” said Nestor Dutra from Country Quality. “This equipment increased our hog slaughter capacity, which gave local hog producers a closer market for their pigs.”
The demand for pork increased drastically in the first weeks of business and Country Quality is now regularly supplying pork products to the local community. At full operation, Country Quality anticipates a 20 per cent increase in weekly volume, with a processing capacity of 40 hogs per week. It is expected that the operation of the new hog line will increase the overall productivity of the business by approximately 16 per cent.
The local hog sector needed a break to continue meeting demand, and Cody Cunningham, ALMA’s Senior Manager, Industry Investments, feels this is a step in the right direction. “Not having a hog slaughter facility in northern Alberta reduced the level of productivity in that area. The Country Quality operation will not only increase productivity, but will also help lower transportation costs and provide another option for our hog producers.”  •

Chinese Are Buying More Pork
Chinese buyers have increased Canadian purchases by 45 per cent this year, according to Martin Rice of the Canadian Pork Council.
It’s helping to put the brakes on a profit-killing slide in hog prices.
Rice says that he expects the increased demand to continue despite the recent plunge in China’s stock-market prices.  •
— By Jim Romahn

Pork Industry Hygiene Reduces MRSA Contamination
Through resiliency and a true passion for the business, Alberta’s pork industry remains one of Canada’s top meat exporting commodities. Research, in particular, is a means to gather knowledge and continually advance industry’s commitment to animal health and food safety, which are important to maintain and expand industry’s competitiveness globally.
Any sort of food contamination can seriously jeopardize market access. One such food contaminant is the bacterium methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). MRSA, if transferred to humans, can cause severe illness. Pigs have the highest prevalence of MRSA colonization among livestock.
Dr. Mueen Aslam, from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, conducted research at three Alberta processing plants. His goal was to determine the MRSA prevalence at various points during the swine slaughter process and then again, on retail shelves. Through a total of 2,640 samples collected at four points during slaughter and processing, Dr. Aslam’s research showed a high percentage of incoming pigs carrying MRSA (61.9 per cent), but only 1.2 per cent of retail pork products were contaminated. Once purchased, proper cooking and food handling should reduce or completely eliminate the risk of transmitting MRSA.
“The research suggests that sanitation procedures applied in Alberta commercial pork processing plants are effective in reducing MRSA contamination,” shares Dr. Aslam. “The hog industry appears to be doing a good job in mitigating this bacterium.”
“These are positive results for Alberta’s pork industry,” says Clinton Dobson, ALMA Senior Manager, Research and Policy. “Promoting the low risk of MRSA contamination of Alberta pork products could open the doors to new markets, leading to increased competitiveness and profitability of the industry.”  •

State Provides
$1 Million to Move People From
Hog Stink
The residents living near the Smithfield Foods hog-packing plant at Pinewood Heights in Smithfield, Virginia, have been given $1 million by the state to relocate.
Residents say relocation can’t come soon enough.
Pinewood Heights is behind the Smithfield Foods meat-packing plant northwest of the town’s historic district and sits next to foul-smelling hog-waste lagoons.
Smithfield is the largest pork packer in the Western world and is owned by a Chinese company, the WH Group Limited.
It is, in turn, owned by state-controlled Shanghui.  •
— By Jim Romahn

Alberta Declares
Farm Disaster
The Alberta government has declared this crop season an official disaster.
Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier made the declaration in late August, opening the way for additional financial help for hard-pressed farmers.
The province’s Agriculture Financial Services Corporation gains access to more money for insurance compensation.
Many Alberta counties and municipal districts have already declared local states of agricultural emergency due to heat and drought and are seeking government assistance. •
— By Jim Romahn

Russian Hog
Project Put on Hold
A $2-billion project to build 60 hog farms in Russia has been put on hold because of concerns about African Swine Fever.
Officials from Miratog are critical of Russian food-safety agency Rosselkhoznadzor’s handling of outbreaks of the virus.
The project unveiled about a year ago is designed to produce 3.7 million market hogs per year.
Each of the 60 farms would have 2,700 sows.
The project also involves several feed mills that can produce 1.5 million tonnes of feed.
It is the largest Russian meat-industry project since the collapse of the Soviet Union.  •
— By Jim Romahn

Pine Haven Colony Increases Supply of Sustainable Alberta Food Products
Located outside of Wetaskiwin, The Meat Shop at Pine Haven Colony delivers a wide variety of locally sourced products including beef, sausages, pork and poultry. With a philosophy of “Simple and Genuine” and its application of traditional craftsmanship techniques, Pine Haven Colony recognizes the importance of providing healthy meat products.
“From the home-grown feed our animals eat, to the animals themselves to the end product, sustainability and quality are a significant part of our business,” said Tim Hofer, Facility Manager. “Our customers want and deserve as much.”
In partnership with the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA), Pine Haven Colony increased its facility’s capacity for value added meat processing. With new equipment that includes an automated processing line and a hog slaughter/fabrication line, Pine Haven Colony can better meet demands and address needs for on-site packaging, storage and refrigeration.
“This upgrade means our systems are fully integrated,” said Hofer. “That helps increase our productivity, which means that we will have to increase the amount of livestock raised at the colony’s farm.”
Increased productivity through automation also allows Pine Haven Colony to focus on continuing their current growth. “With these improvements, we can keep up with customer trends, while enhancing our processes to ensure optimum safety and quality of our products,” said Hofer. “We can give our customers more of what they want and start expanding our line of differentiated products.”
“It’s great seeing Pine Haven Colony continue to succeed,” said ALMA president and CEO, Gordon Cove. “Increasing capacity, while maintaining its commitment to sustainability, is an admirable goal and it’s a great example of how Alberta strives to ensure quality from farm-to-fork.”  •

U.S. Meat
Exports Falter
United States exports of pork and beef are slipping and, in the case of pork, are adding downward pricing pressure because hog production has been rising.
Data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) indicate pork exports this July were four per cent less than the same month last year and beef exports were down by 10 per cent.
There has, however, been a significant decline in beef slaughter in North America.
The July pork exports totaled 166,604 tonnes (mt),  the smallest since January. Export value was $443 million, down by 23 percent from a year ago and the lowest monthly total in more than four years.
For January through July, pork exports totaled 1.25 million tonnes, down by five per cent in volume and by 17 per cent in value to $3.32 billion.
For U.S. beef, July exports totaled 91,955 tonnes, the smallest volume since 2010.
Export value was $555.7 million, down by 11 percent. For January through July, beef export volume was down by 10 percent to 619,064 tonnes. Export value was $3.81 billion, two percent below last year’s pace.
“Market access issues and the sustained strength of the U.S. dollar continue to make 2015 a very tough year for red meat exports,” said Philip M. Seng, USMEF president and chief executive officer. “On the beef side, exports are also constrained by lower production, but the herd rebuilding that is currently limiting our beef supplies is overdue, and will pay dividends in 2016 and beyond.”
Closure of the Russian market to the top three global pork suppliers has not only cut off direct U.S. exports to Russia but also caused an influx of European and Canadian pork into key markets in Asia, Oceania and Latin America, he said.  •
— By Jim Romahn

Role of Bacon in
Diet Expands
Is it bacon, ham or sausage? It is a question that servers all over the world, well at least much of the world ask their customers time, and again.
Susan Riese, the manager of public relations and consumer marketing programs with Manitoba Pork says the role of bacon keeps expanding from the breakfast table to all facets of people’s diets.
In Manitoba, August is Bacon month, home to Canada’s largest bacon processing plant. MP highlighted its ‘Bacon Makes it Better’ campaign focusing on several events and fundraisers throughout the month, including the ‘Barbecue and Blues Festival’ the third week of August, then they held a Bacon Party’ on August 27 at the Pony Corral Pier 7 and the opportunity for Manitobans to enter to win “Bacon for a Year.”
Riese says bacon has taken on a whole new role moving from a popular breakfast meat to a mainstream food that pretty much touches a variety of dishes.
“From bacon wrapped items to pretty much bacon topped everything including the option to add bacon if it’s not already there,” she said. “We’ve even seen it make its way into the dessert and beverage categories so I would have to say that Canadians have become super passionate about their bacon and its part of what defines Canadian cuisine.”
As for the reason why, Riese thinks it’s kind of simple because bacon makes it better, whatever it happens to be.
“More scientifically though, we know bacon carries a unique savory taste, often referred to as umami, and that seems to be somewhat addictive, but in a good way,” she says. “The whole sensory experience too, that bacon provides from the sizzle and pop in the pan to the alluring aroma, the pleasing crunch and smoky flavor, what’s not to like?”  •
— By Harry Siemens

Ropapharm Receives Canadian Approval
Dan L McDermott CEO of RopaPharm US Llc, announced recently that Ropapharm International has received CFIA registration for it’s product RopaDiar Powder Plus oregano essential oil flavouring.  •

TPP Talks Taking Place in Atlanta
Negotiators from 12 countries are in Atlanta , trying to reach an agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Countries represented are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States and Vietnam
The 12 countries have a combined population of 800 million, representing a huge market for those companies and economic sectors that are better than others.
Canada is better in many agriculture and food sectors, but is also trying to maintain high tariffs so dairy and poultry farmers can continue to enjoy higher prices.
There are reports that Canada is prepared to open 10 per cent of its dairy market to imports, but both Trade Minister Ed Fast and other cabinet ministers say the report is wrong.
There has been hardly any speculation about what the TPP negotiations might mean for Canada’s poultry sector. It’s the only country at the table that maintains trade-prohibitive tariffs for poultry.
Other sticky issues for Canada are Japanese requests to free up trade in the auto sector and U.S. drug-company requests for enhanced patent protection terms for medicinal drugs.
Trade ministers are on standby to fly to Atlanta should the negotiators come close enough to making a deal that they could apply the finishing touches.  •
— By Jim Romahn

Please note: As of  press time no
agreement had been reached at the
Trans Pacific Partnership talks.