RDSTW
The 2025 Red Deer Swine Technology Workshop will be held on Wednesday, October 8, 2025 at Westerner Park. Swine Tech is Alberta’s biggest technical seminar specifically aimed at furthering the practical, hands-on knowledge of producers and barn workers.
Some of the agenda topics are: Ventilation and What to Look For, “The Quadrant”, Sow Productivity & Grow Finish Optimization, Managing Sow Mortality in Group Housing, What to Do When a Disaster Happens, On-Farm Postmortems with Vet Support and A Day in the Life of a Slaughter Plant.
Registrations for exhibitors and attendees opens August 11th online at albertapork.com. Registration is $99 each or 5 for $440 earlybird pricing until September 24th. After increases to $110/each.
For more details contact Rawya Selby at Alberta Pork at 780.474.8288 or email Rawya.Selby@albertapork.com •

Alberta Livestock Expo
Keep October 15th and 16th open for the Alberta Livestock Expo in Lethbridge. Trade show hours will be noon -5pm October 15th and 10am – 4pm October 16th held at the Agri-food Hub & Trade Centre. As of press deadline Booth registration is 85% sold out.
Pork Quality Competition starts at 4pm Thursday October 16th.
Chris has arranged a partner hotel, Holiday Inn Lethbridge, rooms starting at $119. Call hotel directly at 403.380.5050 and request the Alberta Livestock Expo Block – code ALE.
Check out albertalivestockexpo.com for more details, or contact Chris at 204.509.4941 or email
chris@albertalivestockexpo.com •

Aherne Awards
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 2026 Banff Pork Seminar, January 6-8; you’ll be recognized by your peers and the pork industry and have a chance to present your solution at the 2026 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 will be available online at www.banffpork.ca. Applications must be received by October 31, 2025. Apply today! Please contact Conference Coordinator Ashely Steeple at pork@ualberta.ca with questions. •

H@ms Fall Marketing Meetings
H@ms will be hosting their fall marketing meetings in three various locations in October.
Wednesday October 22nd, at the Coast Hotel in Swift Current, starting at noon with hot lunch served.
Tuesday October 28th, at Travel Lodge, Strathmore, starting at noon with hot lunch served .
Tuesday October 30th, at the Oakville Community Centre in Oakville, starting at 3pm with a BBQ to follow.
For more details or to preregister (RSVP by October 10th) for the meetings please contact Paisley Alford. 204.235.2221 or E: paisley@hams.ca •

Saskatchewan Pork Symposium
If marking your calendars for all the events in 2025, another one to pencil in is Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium. The two day event is planned for November 4th & 5th.
Key Note speakers to include Brett Stuart and motivational speaker Chris Koch.
Online registrations opens August 11th at saskpork.com
Interested in sponsorship opportunities or an exhibitor booth at Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium? For more details contact Steve Seto at steve@saskpork.com .
A block of rooms will be reserved at the Saskatoon Inn & Conference Centre at 2002 Airport Drive. Call 1-800-667-8789 or book directly with the hotel at 306-242-1440.•

Alberta Pork AGM
Save the date, the Alberta Pork Annual General Meeting will take place Thursday November 20th in Calgary. Details will be available once closer. •

Brandon Hog & Poultry Show
Mark Tuesday December 9th down for the newly rebranded Brandon Hog & Poultry Show. The one day show will be at the Keystone Centre starting at 8:30am.

With door prizes, free admission and a catered lunch. Award presentations for the Pork Quality, Nest Egg Run and Baking Competition will begin at 4:30 pm. Followed by the sale of champions.
The rebranded show has been taken over by Doug Cramer, of Cramer Event Management. More details on the website
cramereventmanagement.com or email doug at cramerexpomgmt@gmail.com or call 306.520.3553. As of print deadline booths are 90% sold out.
Host hotel is Canad Inns, rooms start at $159. Call hotel direct ot book at 1.888.332.2623, a block of rooms will be on hold till December 1st, please inform front desk you are attending the show to ensure the discount. •

Banff Pork Seminar
For those that plan ahead, save the date for Banff Pork Seminar 2026, taking place January 6th -8th at the Castle in the Rockies the Banff Springs Hotel.
The committee is working hard on finalizing the agendas of breakouts sessions and keynote speakers.
Online registration will start in September.
A block of rooms are available at the Banff Springs Hotel for BPS2026 starting at $255/night plus taxes and fees for single occupancy. Space is limited so book early. Must book by December 1, 2025 to receive the special conference rates (while space is available). Reservations can be made through the Banff Pork Seminar website.
Latest updates are found on the website, banffpork.ca
For more information contact Ashley Steeple, Conference Coordinator, PH: 780.492.3651 or Email: pork@ualberta.ca •

Manitoba Swine Seminar
Save the date, the Manitoba Swine Seminar will be held February 4th & 5th 2026. More details will be available in the next edition. For more information contact Patti Clement at 204.981.8042 or
E: info@manitobaswineseminar.com
W: manitobaswineseminar.com •

Saskatchewan Livestock Expo
The 16th annual Saskatchewan Livestock Expo will take place Thursday February 19th, 2026 in Swift Current, SK. The one day show will be held at the Kinetic Exhibition Park, featuring a trade show, door prizes, live auction and of course the Cramer Cup series.
Registration will be open soon, watch the next edition for more information.
Contact Doug Cramer 306.520.3553 •

Manitoba Pork Welcomes New Trade Representative
Manitoba Pork welcomed Richard Madan to his new position as Manitoba’s trade representative in Washington, D.C.
“Congratulations to both Premier Kinew and Minister Moses on meeting this important milestone, and we look forward to working closely with Mr. Madan in his new role and in strategic outreach across the United States”, said Manitoba Pork general manager Cam Dahl. “In addition to connecting with lawmakers and leaders in Washington, our hope is that this office will act as a hub for strategic outreach to key states that are economically important to Manitoba, like Iowa, Minnesota, and others.”
Manitoba Pork also looks forward to working collaboratively and strategically with other provinces, namely Alberta and Saskatchewan, to advocate for shared trading goals on agriculture and food trade with the United States, both through Manitoba’s new trade representative and through other key members of the government. •

Alberta Pork Leaders Advocate For Industry
Alberta Pork Chair Alastair Bratton and Executive Director Darcy Fitzgerald were proud to attend the Calgary Stampede Agri-Business Reception on July 8, alongside Premier Danielle Smith, Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation Minister RJ Sigurdson, and Canada’s new Federal Agriculture Minister, Heath MacDonald. The event brought together agricultural leaders from across the province to celebrate Alberta’s world-class producers and the strength of its agri-food sector. Attendees were reminded that Canada continues to be one of the most important net exporters of food in the world a distinction built on innovation, hard work, and a deep-rooted commitment to quality.
Earlier in the afternoon, Alastair and Darcy also had an opportunity to speak with NDP members Naheed Nenish, Heather Sweet, Janet Eremenko, and Court Ellingson about the priorities that matter to the pork producers in our province.
Alberta Pork is committed to supporting our province’s pork producers who provide high quality and nutritious pork products for consumers in Alberta, Canada, and around the world. •

Code of Practice Producer Meetings
Sask Pork and the Canadian Pork Council are hosting two producer meetings in August. The purpose of these meetings is to update all producers on the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) process for updating the Code of Practice for 2029, and most importantly, to hear your thoughts on potential changes.
Producer input is extremely important for Sask Pork’s Board as well as the members of the Canadian Pork Council team that will be at the table negotiating these commitments with processors, retailers, and animal welfare advocates. Similar meetings will be taking place across the country to reach all producers.
Saskatoon Meeting, Monday, August 18th from 12 – 3 (lunch provided) at Saskatoon Inn
Swift Current Meeting, Tuesday August 19th from 10 – 12 (lunch provided) at Coast Swift Current Hotel.
Registration is required. Contact Sask Pork or register on their website. •

North American Producers Meet to Reaffirm
Commitments to Food Security, Responsible Production
In mid July North American pork producer leaders confirmed their industries’ common focus on producing nutritious, sustainable and affordable pork at their recent trilateral meeting in Niagara on the Lake, ON.
Hosted by the Canadian Pork Council (CPC), the meeting was attended by officers of the CPC, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) of the United States and the Mexican Pork Producer Organization OPORMEX.
The meeting, held to address issues of critical importance to pork production in North America, discussed animal care and health issues, and producers also reaffirmed their commitment to collaborate on efforts to reduce the risk of animal diseases, such as African swine fever.
“This was an opportunity for pork industry representatives to exchange ideas, discuss mutual challenges and possible solutions, and explore areas of common interest,” said CPC chair and meeting host René Roy. “This foundation includes the adoption of new approaches and methods demonstrated by sound science to provide the best possible care and handling of our pigs, allow for environmentally sustainable use of our natural resources and achieve favourable results in the quality, safety, affordability and availability of our pork products.”
In their discussions, the leaders recognized that, in addition to production efficiencies and environmental sustainability, pork producers share with the rest of society the expectation that pigs are raised in a manner which respects their animal welfare needs as well as society’s concerns that the industry uses antimicrobials prudently.
“North Americans should feel confident that their pork farmers are capable stewards of their animals and deeply committed to meeting our customers’, and our fellow citizens’, needs and expectations,” concluded Roy, who farms in Quebec.
Pork is an important source of many essential nutrients including high quality protein, bioavailable iron and zinc, B vitamins and energy. Replacing some carbohydrate with protein foods, like pork, may have clinical benefits such as reduced appetite and calorie intake, improved blood lipids and muscle mass maintenance. •

Vietnam Delivers First ASF Vaccine Shipment to Indonesia
Vietnam has officially delivered its first shipment of African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccine to Indonesia, marking a major milestone in international efforts to manage the disease in endemic regions. The update was highlighted in the Swine Health Information Center’s (SHIC) July Global Swine Disease Monitoring Report.
Breakthrough in ASF Control
Developed and produced by Avac Vietnam, the live attenuated vaccine was approved by Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture in April. According to SHIC Associate Director Dr. Lisa Becton, the vaccine has been under joint development and testing by Vietnam and Indonesia for the past three years.
“The vaccine has been proven effective at reducing clinical signs and symptoms and helping to manage the spread of ASF where it has been used,” said Dr. Becton.
“This gives producers in endemic regions a new tool — and gives us in the U.S. a valuable window to observe how these tools perform in the field.”
Vaccine Use Under Careful Monitoring
While the vaccine is a promising development, Dr. Becton emphasizes that continued oversight is essential. It must be ensured that the vaccine produces immunity, does not introduce wild-type virus, and causes no harmful side effects.
Three ASF vaccines are now commercially available, with several others undergoing clinical trials. SHIC continues to monitor the global rollout and performance of these vaccines to inform U.S. prevention strategies. •
— Swine Web

Feds Challenge California’s Welfare Law
The United States Department of Justice has filed a legal challenge in federal court against California’s Proposition 12 standards for laying hen housing.
The lawsuit said the federal government has sole jurisdiction over eggs and that California’s law on housing and egg labeling conflict with the federal Egg Products Inspection Act.
Pork producers in the United States and Canada will be watching this court case closely because they face loss of markets for hogs that do not meet the California standards.
Industry groups, including the National Pork Producers Council, have voiced support for the lawsuit and has expressed concern over the economic ripple effects of differing state-by-state standards affecting pork and other proteins, in addition to eggs.
Although the focus of this lawsuit is eggs, a favorable ruling for the DOJ could open the door to similar challenges against state-level regulations for pork and veal. Conversely, a decision against the DOJ may affirm the authority of states to impose animal care standards on out-of-state producers. •
— By Jim Romahn

Diseases-Fighting Coalition Formed
Canada’s livestock and poultry sectors have created the Foreign Animal Disease Executive Management Board (FAD-EMB) to address foot and mouth disease (FMD), African swine fever (ASF), and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
It establishes a collaborative process for disease prevention, preparedness and response with federal, provincial, territorial and industry collaborative engagement. It is built on success the partners have had in forming a response to the threat of African Swine Fever.

The first meeting of the FAD-EMB was held in-person on June 24 when they identified the need for disease-specific work to continue through leadership groups, and there was agreement that the four-pillar model followed for African swine fever is applicable for other foreign animal diseases.
Themes that emerged throughout the day highlighted the importance of relationship building to support this collaborative approach. It was agreed that the FAD-EMB will not be a platform for lobbying efforts but is an unbiased forum for driving disease prevention, planning and response needs. The group recognized the potential for fatigue and the importance of regularly celebrating progress.
Next steps include drafting a charter and populating disease-specific leadership groups to maintain momentum on ASF, FMD and HPAI priority gaps. There was also acknowledgment of horizontal priorities that apply to all species.
The FAD-EMB will plan to meet quarterly to collaboratively drive foreign animal disease prevention, preparedness and response.
The coalition also announced the launch of a nation-wide diseases alert system.
The Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System (CAHSS) launched a new disease alerts dashboard, which allows users to visualize disease alerts across Canada. Alerts can be filtered by disease type, animal type, region, time period, and more.
Disease alerts can be submitted by government officials, industry organizations, and private veterinarians using a form. All disease alert submissions are validated by CAHSS staff before posting. Allows users to visualize disease alerts across Canada. Alerts can be filtered by disease type, animal type, region, time period, and more.
Disease alerts can be submitted by government officials, industry organizations, and private veterinarians using a form. All disease alert submissions are validated by CAHSS staff before posting.
“A special thanks to Animal Health Canada for initiating and hosting the Foreign Animal Disease Executive Management Board meeting today. Very productive discussion on shaping the future of the EMB structure with a special focus on ASF, FMD and HPAI viruses. Looking forward to continuing our work in this important space,” Dr. Egan Brockhoff.•
— By Jim Romahn

U.S. Pork Farmers Doing OK
In mid July CoBank said the United States pork sector remains remarkably steady, despite labor and economic headwinds.
The same is true for Canadian hog farmers whose margins have been in the black so far this summer.
As of June 1, total hogs available for market were down only 0.1 per cent year-over-year, and the breeding herd held steady at 5.98 million head, said the CoBank report.
Dressed hog weights averaged 216 pounds per head, helping secure pork supply into summer.
Lean hog futures surpassed $112 per hundred weight in June, the highest since July 2022. Pork carcass cutout values averaged $103 per hundredweight this spring, boosted by belly and ham prices. Belly prices have gone up by 18.7 per cent so far this year and ham prices increased by 6.4 per cent.
Despite softer feed costs, herd expansion has been limited by tight processing capacity, labor shortages, and high capital costs. Automation and technology are seen as essential to help fill labor gaps across the protein sector, CoBank said. •
— By Jim Romahn

Clemens to Expand Pennsylvania Plant
Clemens Food Group, one of the nation’s largest pork processors and a buyer of Ontario hogs, is making a bold $130 million investment to renovate and expand its flagship facility in Hatfield, Pennsylvania.
The expansion is designed to increase bacon, sausage, and value-added pork production while enhancing food safety, efficiency, and capacity, the company said.
Renovations to the existing 60,000-square-foot plant began earlier this year, and the expansion phase is set to break ground later this year. By the first half of 2027, the facility will be more than 100,000 square feet, signaling Clemens’ confidence in the growing demand for premium pork products.
“We are investing in this project to continue our commitment to the highest levels of safety and food safety, and to improve product flow,” the company’s spokesman said. •
— By Jim Romahn

New Website Launch
Jefo is proud to announce the launch of its brand-new website: www.jefo.ca, a completely redesigned platform tailored to the needs of agri-food and animal nutrition professionals.
Key highlights of the new site: More intuitive navigation; Clear, comprehensive product pages; Easier access to our teams and technical resources
A modern showcase of our scientific expertise and global presence. •

Drake Meats Shares Plans for a new Processing Plant in Saskatoon
Drake Meats is expecting a strong financial return from a new meat processing plant being built in Saskatoon.
With assistance from Farm Credit Canada, and some local investors are funding the new facility, which is already under construction and slated for completion in June 2026.
The family-owned company already owns a provincially inspected meat processing facility in the community of Drake. They plan slowly expand its marketing network to other provinces with the focus on Western Canada.
Products are offered in major grocery chains across Western Canada.
Drake Meats currently has 40 employees working in the leased space at the Agri-Food Processing Plant. When the new plant is finished later next year, those employees will make the move to the new facility. The plant will initially have between 70 to 80 workers, with plans to increase up to 200 staff members as operations ramp up. At full capacity, it will be capable of producing more than eight million kilograms of pork and beef products annually—including sausage, bacon, hams, jerky and deli meats.
Drake Meats started business in 1949 and the majority shareholders will continue to be the Ediger family. •

African Swine Fever in Germany: Fencing
Expands as Infected Wild Boar Count Rises
Germany’s North Rhine–Westphalia (NRW) region is facing a growing challenge as African swine fever (ASF) spreads through its wild boar population. Officials have now confirmed 36 infected wild boars, up from 26 last week, prompting urgent containment measures to protect domestic pig herds and the broader European pork supply chain.
The majority of infections have been detected in the Olpe district, with a smaller number in neighboring Siegen-Wittgenstein. In response, authorities are building a combination of mobile and permanent fencing to establish containment zones and slow the movement of wild boar across the region.
The designated inner zone — the highest restriction level — contains approximately 54 pig farms housing 6,500 pigs, while the outer buffer zone includes 94 farms with 16,000 pigs. Although no domestic pig cases have been reported, the risk of spillover from wild boar remains a serious concern.
Genetic sequencing of the virus indicates that the current outbreak is linked to a strain previously found in Calabria, Italy, rather than eastern Germany, where ASF has been active since 2020 near the Polish border. This suggests multiple, independent introduction events and highlights the need for continued surveillance across Europe.
According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), fencing plays an important role but cannot fully contain ASF on its own. Effective control requires a multi-pronged approach, including:
Active carcass removal
Enhanced surveillance and testing
Cooperation with hunting communities
Strict on-farm biosecurity protocols
Germany’s Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut also warns that summer poses heightened risks due to increased wild boar movement, making rapid detection and response even more critical.
While ASF has not been detected in the U.S. or Canada, outbreaks like this serve as a stark reminder that biosecurity is everyone’s business. Lessons for North American producers include:

• Maintain and regularly review biosecurity measures.
  •Stay informed about global ASF developments.
  Understand that international market stability is tightly linked to disease risks abroad — even events overseas can ripple through North American pork markets. •
  — Swineweb

Publishers Note:
This edition was uploaded to
the press prior to the August 1st
Tariff deadline.