Cramer Livestock Expo
Be sure to come out for the Cramer Crop and Livestock Expo. It is back for its sixth consecutive year, this years theme “Back To Our Roots,” will be held Thursday February 18th in Swift Current, SK at Kinetic Park. Trade show floor is open from 8:30 – 4:30 followed by Cramer Cup Awards and Sales of Champions.
The top five carcasses will be sold at the Sale of Champions, proceeds to Kids Help Phone.
Doug Cramer confirmed as per January 22nd there are 30 carcasses entered, all in the hopes of claiming the coveted Cramer Cup.
The show continues to grow each year, in addition to the one day trade show will feature the Cramer Cup series – awards presented in various categories; hog, forage, baking and egg competitions.
For details or information contact Kelly Turcotte tradeshow co ordinator at kelly_turcotte@hotmail.com or call 306.737.6262 •
2015 Livestock Care Conference
Fresh opportunities, global perspectives and lively discussion are set to capture the spotlight at the 2016 Livestock Care Conference, March 22-23 in Olds, AB, hosted by Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC).
Registration is now open for the long-standing annual conference, designed for producers, industry, students and others with an interest in responsible livestock care.
Complete agenda details and registration information is available at www.afac.ab.ca. Follow at hashtag #LCC2016.www.afac.ab.ca •
APC Industry Award Nominations
Now is the time to send in your nominations for the Alberta Pork Congress Industry Awards.
Lifetime Achievement Award (Honours individuals who have played an integral role in advancing the pork industry in Alberta and celebrates their long-term commitment and unwavering dedication to the industry).
Farm Team Award (Recognizes the farm unit which operates in an exemplary manner through commitment and longevity of the staff with virtues of hard work and cooperation, celebrating dedication of the team toward working together for the success of the farm).
Pork Industry Ambassador Award (Honours individuals or companies whose efforts reflect a commitment above and beyond the accepted expectation of the pork industry in Alberta. It recognizes individuals or companies whose actions have become a valuable asset to the pork industry and acknowledges those whose actions have become models for peer recognition).
For more information or to nominate either a individual – team, please contact the Alberta Pork Congress office at 403.244.7821 or Toll Free 1.800.267.9180 or email info@albertaporkcongress.com. Deadline for nominations is April 1st. •
London Swine Conference
Mark your calendars for the 16th London Swine Conference. It will take place April 5 & 6 at The DoubleTree by Hilton which is located in downtown London. This years theme is A Platform For Success.
For all the program and registration details check online at www.londonswineconference.ca Earlybird registration deadline is March 14.
There are no registrations accepted at the door. •
World Pork Expo
The dates are set for the 2016 World Pork Expo — June 8-10 — at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa. World Pork Expo is brought to you by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and presents a wide range of activities, including the world’s largest pork-specific trade show, educational seminars, and swine shows and sales.
The newest products, services and technologies for producing pork are on display in more than 310,000 square feet of exhibit space. Last year, 23,085 attendees from 48 countries participated in this three-day exposition, including more than 1,100 international guests. Looking ahead, NPPC organizers expect a similar showing in 2016.
Check out www.worldpork.org for the details and information. •
Alberta Pork Congress
The dates for the 42nd annual Alberta Pork Congress are June 15 & 16, 2016 at Westerner Park in Red Deer. Online registration in now open at albertaporkcongress.com Stay tuned to the April-May edition of Prairie Hog Country for more details.
For details, information and to order your banquet and BBQ tickets contact Kate Cheney or Kimberly Nield at 403.244.7821 or email kate@conventionall.com or kimberly@conventionall.com •
Industry Sectors Form Strategic Alliance
Alberta’s meat and livestock sectors are diverse, but despite their individuality, many sectors have overlapping needs, challenges and opportunities. It’s these commonalities that represented an opportunity for eight sectors to develop a strategic partnership called the Intensive Livestock Working Group (ILWG).
The ILWG partners – Alberta Chicken Producers, Alberta Cattle Feeders Association, Alberta Beef Producers, Alberta Milk, Alberta Pork Producers, Alberta Turkey Producers, Egg Farmers of Alberta and Alberta Hatching Egg Producers – recognized that the members have a much greater impact as a group than any one sector could achieve alone. As well, by working together, the collective can maximize the effectiveness of scarce resources.
Although the ILWG has no policy-setting function and each ILWG member organization speaks for itself on all policy issues, the group brings coordination and continuity to critical matters. With one cohesive voice, the ILWG works with government bodies and NGOs on issues that affect each partner. The information is then collected and disseminated back to the member organizations. The ILWG has also had success promoting and supporting projects that focus on areas such as practical and sustainable biodiversity, rural Infrastructure and farm safety, and assessment and taxation of intensive farming operations. •
Olymel Shipping More Alberta Pork to China
Olymel’s federally-inspected Red Deer plant is Alberta’s largest hog processing operation and is a major contributor to Western Canada’s hog slaughter volume. Olymel is the second largest hog processor in Canada, moving 120,000 hogs through its processing facilities per week, and distributing fresh and frozen pork domestically and internationally to more than 60 countries, including China. Through a recent partnership with the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA), Olymel is extending its reach into China through its head box project.
Recent modifications to the processing line in the Red Deer plant are helping Olymel to sell and ship whole hog heads to buyers in China. Now, rather than deconstructing the head into its various parts in a separate room, the heads remain intact and are collected quickly and frozen prior to shipment to China. In the first 10 weeks of production, 1.8 million kg of boxed heads were produced and 62 containers shipped to China. When production meets full capacity, Olymel expects to ship eight containers of heads per week. This streamlined production has additional positive effects, according to Rob Ackerblade, Olymel Red Deer’s Plant Manager.
Due to the increased volumes now going to the Chinese market, Olymel hired more employees to handle the boxing and shipping of the product. “Normally an upgrade to the plant helps us ease our labour problems, but this is one of those cases where the improvement resulted in more jobs.” “By simplifying their processing and improving efficiencies, Olymel is increasing Canada’s presence into a key target market,” says Gordon Cove, ALMA President and CEO. “Making inroads into a profitable markets takes time but Olymel’s efforts seem to be paying off sooner than expected.
That is great news for the pork sector in Alberta and Canada as a whole.” •
PRSS-Resistant Pigs in the Offing
The Genus division of PIC (Pig Improvement Company) is developing a genetically-modified pig that can resist Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive (PRRS) virus. The modification eliminates a receptor the virus needs to invade pigs.
PRRS causes annual losses estimated at about $1 billion (Cdn) per year across North America. It is both deadly and causes abortions. Dr. Raymond “Bob” Rowland of Kansas State University and one of the researchers who helped develop the PRRS-resistant pigs said they are the first in his 20 years of research that remained free of infection when challenged with the PRRS virus. Genus will need regulatory approval before it can start marketing any of the genetically-modified pigs, and that could take years.
The Enviropig developed at the University of Guelph never did achieve approvals in the United States and Canada despite years of research that indicated those pigs were no different, other than they had phytase in their saliva that increased the absorption of phosphorous from their rations. That, in turn, meant there was less phosphorous in their manure, making it environmentally friendly for waterways, lakes and fish.
Genus is encouraged because regulators recently approved marketing of genetically-engineered fish. They grow faster and bigger and require less feed. • — By Jim Romahn
Canada Gains Market Access for Pork to India
Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Minister of International Trade Chrystia Freeland announced recently that effective immediately, the Government of Canada has secured export market access for Canadian pork and pork products to India. The Canadian pork industry estimates that gaining access to this new market could be worth $2 million in the first year, with growth in future years, as demand for value-added products is expected to increase.
Access to the Indian market aligns with the Government’s plan to expand trade with large and fast-growing markets. Improved access in this sector will create opportunities for Canadian pork producers and will further facilitate Canada’s position as a long-term, reliable partner in meeting India’s food security objectives. •
Pigs a-Plenty in U.S.
There were more pigs in the United States breeding herd on Dec. 1 than any time since records began to be kept on a quarterly basis in 1988. The question now is where all those market hogs can find a home. Packing plants are already running at, or close to, capacity.
U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on Dec. 1 was 68.3 million head.up one percent from a year ago Dec. 1, and up slightly from September 1, 2015.
Market hog inventory, at 62.3 million head, was up one percent from last year and up slightly from last quarter. This also is the highest market hog inventory since quarterly United States estimates began..
The September-November 2015 pig crop, at 30.3 million head, was down one percent from 2014. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.88 million head, down four percent from 2014. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 48 percent of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was a record-high 10.53 for the September-November period, compared with 10.23 last year. • — By Jim Romahn
Topigs Reaches 35 Million Pigs
35th Million Pig in the Topigs Norsvin Pigbase. On January 1, 2016 – pig number AG00027053 was born on the breeding farm of Mai and Geir Aannerud in Reinsvoll, Norway. Reinsvoll is located about 10 kilometers west of our office in Hamar. This pig is a male from the Norsvin Landrace line. It is also the 35th million pig in our breeding database Pigbase. Topigs has been using Pigbase since 2006 and has included the data from the Norsvin since the merger in 2014. Pigbase is the foundation of the Topigs Norsvin breeding and genetic program. •
Crystal Spring Hog Equipment Begins Manufacturing in Brazil
Crystal Spring Hog Equipment is committed to providing innovative, quality products in all markets. To better serve the rapidly growing Brazilian swine production and meet increased customer demand, Crystal Spring teamed up with Gro Master, its U.S. distribution and research partner, to invest in local production of stainless steel hog feeders. Production began in Toledo, a southern region of Brazil, on November 9, 2015.
Crystal Spring Hog Equipment provides world class equipment and solutions to pork producers in over 20 countries. •
Martin Rice to Retire From Pork Council
Martin Rice, who has become an institution as head of the Canadian Pork Council, will be retiring at the end of April. John Ross of the federal civil service will start work at the council at the end of February and will be the executive director when Rice leaves.
Ross has worked on livestock industry issues, including chairman of government-industry committee that dealt with the United States Country of Origin labeling issue. • — By Jim Romahn
Canada Poised to Sign TPP
Ms. Freeland released a statement Monday playing down the importance of Canada signing the Pacific Rim accord text in New Zealand next week and assuring Canadians the Liberals remain on the fence more than 90 days after winning the election. Signing does not equal ratifying. Only a majority vote in our Parliament can allow the agreement to take force.
“Signing is simply a technical step in the process, allowing the … text to be tabled in Parliament for consideration and debate before any final decision is made,” Ms. Freeland said in a statement. Likewise, Canada has not yet signed the final commitment to the free trade deal with the European Union. That might come this fall. • — By Jim Romahn
Spragg’s Meat Shop Makes the Leap From Local to the Big City
The story of Spragg’s Meat Shop, located in Rosemary, Alberta, started in 2002 when Bonnie Spragg surprised her husband, Greg, with three piglets. While both had pork-handling experience working in a local Alberta hog barn, Greg dreamed of raising his own animals.
Three years later, Bonnie and Greg opened their meat shop offering free-range pork products. With pasture-raised and naturally-fed hogs as the cornerstone of their business, the Spragg’s also began featuring their sought-after pork products in two Calgary farmer’s markets.
Fast forward to 2015. Shortly after the Spraggs received an Alberta Food Processors Association (AFPA) award in the spring, Calgary Co-op took notice and placed an order for 5,000 lbs of their award-winning bacon-wrapped meatballs. “We were so happy to receive the AFPA award because it validated all of our hard work to bring quality pork products to market,” said Bonnie. “And to now have our meatballs in the Calgary Co-ops is so amazing.”
While the main components were in place at their Rosemary meat shop to fulfill the Co-op order, the Spraggs recognized they needed more equipment and more employees. With support from the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA), Bonnie and Greg purchased additional equipment to expand the shop’s processing capabilities. Successful sales in the Co-op stores could double Spragg’s current production, with a weekly increase to about 100 free-range hogs. So, while Spragg’s Meat Shop began with three little pigs in small-town Alberta, it has expanded well beyond Bonnie and Greg’s dreams. For more information, visit http://spraggsmeatshop.blogspot.ca. •
Topigs Norsvin Hands Out Top Awards
The annual Topigs Norsvin Customer Appreciation Night for Western Canada was held on November 5th in Winnipeg. The summary of the 2015 production award winners and runner-up winners are listed by category. Herds of 500 sows or less category: Farrowing Rate Winner with 93.45% – Spring Point Colony of Pincher Creek, AB: Runner-up with 92.0% – Tenth Line Swine of Gorrie, ON. Born Alive Winner with 14.39 – A & A Van Ginkel of Leslieville, AB: Runner-up with 13.98 – Horizon Colony, of Lowe Farm, MB Pigs Weaned/Mated Female/Year Winner with 31.19 – Cool Spring Colony of Minnedosa, MB: Runner-up with 30.83 – Horizon Colony, of Lowe Farm, MB
Herds of 501 – 1,200 Sows category: Farrowing Rate Winner with 93.8% – Lakeside Colony of Cranford, AB: Runner-up with 91.4% – A-C DeGroot Farms of Gadshill, ON Born Alive Winner with 13.96 – James Valley Colony of Elie, MB: Runner-up with 13.75 – Arie & Linda Van de Bruinhorst of Clinton, ON Pigs Weaned/Mated Female/Year Winner with 31.05 – A-C DeGroot Farms of Gadshill, ON: Runner-up with 30.86 – James Valley Colony of Elie, MB.
Herds of 1,200 Sows or more category: Farrowing Rate Winner with 92.4% – Stonywood Farm of Petervale, ON: Runner-up with 92.2% – Blue Ribbon Swine of Grunthal, MB. Born Alive Winner with 13.31 – Adare Pork of Lucan, ON: Runner-up with 13.27 – Morris Piglets South of Lowe Farm, MB. PigsWeaned/Mated Female/Year Winner with 30.64 – Adare Pork of Lucan, ON: Runner-up with 28.80 – Stonywood Farm of Petervale, ON.
This year the 26+ Club Award was presented to 51 farms! This award is presented to the herds producing greater than 26.0 pigs weaned / mated female / year. The average result from the winners in this year’s 26+ Club was 27.9 pigs weaned / mated female / year. •
Eden Area Hutterite Colony Took Top Awards at Hog Days Brandon Pork Quality Competition
Back in December at Hog Days in Brandon a local Colony did something for the first time ever. Took the top 2 spots in the 2015 Pork Quality Competition. Rolling Acres Colony, located near Eden.
Ron Bazylo, a business development specialist swine with Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Development, says the Pork Quality Competition offers an opportunity for hog producers to show off what they have to offer. Ron said a total of 24 carcasses from 13 different Colonies entered into this years Pork Quality Competition. Jason Care had the hard task of judging the very close entries.
This year’s top 5 winners included Rolling Acres Hutterite Colony at Eden with both the first and second place entries, Starlite Colony at Starbuck with the third place entry, Deerboine Hutterite Colony at Alexander, in fourth place and Sprucewood Hutterite Colony at Brookdale placing fifth.
The meat from the carcasses is donated to local charities in Brandon. East 40 Packers donates the cutting and wrapping of the hog carcasses. •
More Pork, Less Beef in U.S.
Pork production set a record in December, according to a report from the United States Department of Agriculture. And the 11-month totals for last year show pork production increased by seven per cent while beef production declined by two per cent. Veal production plunged by 12 per cent and lamb and mutton by three per cent. Total U.S. meat production for the 11 months was 48.4 billion pounds.
In December, pork production increased by four per cent over year-earlier levels to 2.21 billion pounds, but beef production declined by two per cent to 2.05 billion pounds. • — By Jim Romahn
