PSC New Research Scientist
The Prairie Swine Centre recently announced the appointment of Dr. Atta Agyekum as the new Research Scientist – Nutrition. Dr. Agyekum will start this role mid July.
Dr. Agyekum has been part of the Canadian swine sector for more then 10 years, serving in both the research and commercial divisions.
Welcome Dr Atta. •
CPC Welcomes New Ag Minister
Congratulations to the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Canada’s new Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
The Canadian Pork Council is excited to welcome him to this important role. They look forward to working together to support Canada’s pork producers and advance the agri-food sector. His leadership will play a key part in strengthening a sustainable and competitive agricultural industry.•
Conservatives Appoint Shadow Minister
John Barlow MP for the Foothills riding in South Western Alberta has been appointed by the Honourable Pierre Poilievre to serve as Shadow Minister for Agriculture & Agri-Food in the 45th Parliament.
He looks forward to once again working with farmers, ranchers and producers from across Canada. •
Topigs Norsvin Promotes Within
Topigs Norsvin Canada is pleased to announce the appointment of Mike Shaw as Managing Director, which was effective May 1, 2025. In his new role, he will report to Geert Rombouts, Regional Director North America. Mike Shaw succeeds Cam McGavin, who will continue to contribute with Key Accounts, special projects and as an advisor during the transition period.
With the appointment of Mike Shaw, Topigs Norsvin Canada has a Managing Director who is very familiar with the pig sector but also highly knowledgeable about the organization. He has held various roles within Topigs Norsvin since 2008. His last position was Director Operations. He also holds the position of Global Operations Manager at Topigs Norsvin International. •
MPC Promotion
After serving four and a half years as Manitoba Pork Councils Communications and Website Coordinator, Joey Dearborn has been promoted to Communications Manager. Congrats Joey! •
Jefo Recognized for 10th Year
Jefo, a global leader in high-performance non-medicated nutritional solutions for animals, has been recognized amongst Canada’s Best Managed Companies for the tenth year in a row. Jefo has once again been awarded the Platinum Club member designation in this prestigious award program for the fourth year. •
Experience GEA Technology in Farming Simulator 25
Recently announced in Drummondville, QC – GEA, one of the world’s leading providers of milking, feeding, and manure management solutions for dairy and hog farms, will be featured in Farming Simulator 25 starting June 3, 2025, through the brand-new Plains & Prairies Pack. In collaboration with developer and publisher GIANTS Software, GEA brings cutting-edge agricultural technology to the virtual farming world for the first time. The pack includes a range of GEA machinery – including the largest manure tanker ever introduced in the game.
With the GEA Manure Semi-Tanker STR 447, a heavy-duty manure tanker designed for road travelling enters the game – highly detailed, equipped with Road-proven Manac galvanized undercarriage, and built for massive capacity. It’s designed for players who value efficiency and realism in large-scale field operations.
The Plains & Prairies Pack introduces three new brands to the game: GEA, Ford, and Trout River, alongside vehicles and equipment from well-known manufacturers such as Brandt, Fendt, International, Salford, Väderstad, and Versatile.
The Plains & Prairies Pack will be available starting June 3, 2025, for PC, Mac, PlayStation® 5, and Xbox Series X|S – as a standalone DLC or as part of the Year 1 Season Pass. •
Alberta Pork Elects Chair
Alberta Pork congratulates Alastair Bratton, who has been elected as the new Chair of the Board, succeeding Stan Vanessen. We thank Stan for his leadership and dedicated service. Additionally, Steven Waldner will continue in his role as Vice-Chair, and Jonathan Klok remains as Treasurer, ensuring continuity and stability in our leadership team. •
