Alberta Pork Congress
The 50th Anniversary Alberta Pork Congress will be held at Westerner Park in Red Deer June 12th & 13th.
Trade show hours: Wednesday June 12th 9am – 4:30pm and Thursday June 13th 9am – 2pm.
Social functions include: Exhibitor Swine & Cheese Tuesday June 11th on trade show floor -pm. Wednesday awards banquet reception starts at 5:30pm program and supper starts at 6:30pm. Thursday June 13th 50th Anniversary lunch celebration at 1:30pm, special door prizes.
There will be memorabilia on site from previous installments of Alberta Pork Congress.
For more details and information contact Kate Kelly, at 403.542.7906 or email her at kate@albertaporkcongress.com •

RDSTW
The 2024 Red Deer Swine Technology Workshop will be held on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 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 topics included are: Weaning Age Impact; Water Line Disinfection; Advantages and Disadvantages on Different Group Sow Housing; Challenges of the TFWP; Advancing Swine Welfare Practices to Empower your Industry in addition a producer panel – The Good -the Bad and the Ugly of Renovations and much more. Watch for booth and guest registrations to open up this summer. We hope to see you there!
For more details contact Rawya Selby at Alberta Pork at 780.474.8288 or email Rawya.Selby@albertapork.com •

Alberta Livestock Expo
Keep October 16th and 17th open for the Alberta Livestock Expo in Lethbridge. Booth registration is now open.
Check out albertalivestockexpo.com for more details, or contact Chris at 204.509.4941 or email
chris@albertalivestockexpo.com
Watch future editions for more information on Pork Quality Competition, Pork, Dairy & Poultry session series, sponsorship opportunities and more. •

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 2025 Banff Pork Seminar, January 7-9; you’ll be recognized by your peers and the pork industry and have a chance to present your solution at the 2025 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, 2024. Apply today! Please contact Conference Coordinator Ashely Steeple at
pork@ualberta.ca with questions. •

Saskatchewan Pork Symposium
If marking your calendars for all the events in 2024, another one to pencil in is Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium. The two day event is planned for November 5th & 6th. More details will be available in the months and issues to come.
Interested in sponsorship opportunities or an exhibitor booth at Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium? For more details contact Steve Seto at steve@saskpork.com .•

Alberta Pork AGM
Save the date, the Alberta Pork Annual General Meeting will take place Thursday November 28th. Details will be available once closer. •

Prairie Livestock Expo
Save the date, Prairie Livestock Expo will be held Wednesday December 11th at the Victoria Inn & Conference Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The one trade show will be open from 9am-6pm and will once again include a Pork Quality Competition.
On line registration will open soon. For information or more details contact Dallas Ballance at 204.782.0272 email
info@prairielivestockexpo.ca or check the website at prairielivestockexpo.ca •

Feds Invest $9.6 Million in Hog Preparedness
The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) is pleased to announce that it has been selected to receive funding under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) African Swine Fever Industry Preparedness Program (ASFIPP). The CPC’s ASFIPP initiative, titled “Development of a low-cost pen-side assay for rapid detection of African Swine Fever Virus,” is a crucial step in enhancing the swine industry’s readiness against the threat of African Swine Fever (ASF).
The primary objective of the CPC’s ASFIPP is to develop an ASFMeter, a portable and low-cost tool, for rapidly diagnosing ASF in the field. This innovative program, in collaboration with McMaster University, aims to revolutionize ASF detection by providing a convenient and effective solution for on-site testing.
“The support from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is instrumental in advancing our efforts to combat African Swine Fever,” said Canadian Pork Council chair René Roy. “Our focus on developing a low-cost pen-side assay aligns with our commitment to proactive and innovative solutions for the swine industry.”
“This program represents a significant step forward in safeguarding Canadian swine herds and strengthening our industry’s resilience against ASF,” added Roy. “The collaboration with AAFC and McMaster University brings together expertise in research and technology, ensuring that the ASFMeter meets the rigorous standards required for rapid and accurate ASF detection.”
“Animal diseases, including African swine fever, are a serious threat to Canada’s pork sector, and it’s vitally important that all orders of government and industry take steps to prevent and prepare,”said the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “These projects are a key part of Canada’s efforts to prevent an ASF outbreak while ensuring our pork sector is ready to respond.”
The ASFIPP funding underscores the importance of research and development in enhancing biosecurity measures within the swine industry. The program itself is a testament to the joint industry/government proactive approach to preparing for potential challenges and ensuring the sustainability of Canadian pork production.
The CPC remains dedicated to its ongoing efforts to protect the Canadian pork industry through industry-wide cooperation, innovation, and resilience in the face of emerging challenges. These efforts underscore a commitment to ensuring the long-term success and viability of Canada’s pork sector while protecting swine producers and their livelihoods. •

Pig Gene Identified For Disease Resilience
An international team of scientists has identified a gene that identifies pigs with greater disease resilience.
The team includes scientists from Iowa State University, the Universities of Saskatchewan and Alberta and CDPQ, with funding from PigGen Canada, Genome Alberta, Genome Prairie and the U.S. Department of Agriculture,.
They are measuring the levels of stress hormones in the hair of pigs to evaluate the effect of stress on disease resilience.
Dr. Jack Dekkers, a distinguished professor in the department of Animal Science at Iowa State University, said they have found that cortisol in hair has a heritability of about 25 percent.
If you look at growth rate in pigs, heritability is a little bit higher at about 35 percent so 25 percent is a pretty good heritability and that means that there are measures that breeding companies can select for, he said.
We have also looked at some associations of cortisol levels in hair measured on the young healthy animals and their subsequent disease resilience and there are correlations we find there so there is an indication that cortisol levels in hair can be a predictor of whether an animal is more or less disease resilient, Dekkers said.
Interestingly for cortisol levels in hair, we find that it is affected by many genes that control growth rate. Same for cortisol levels but there is one gene that has a substantial effect, he said.
We call that a major gene. It explains about 40 percent of the genetic variation, the genetic differences. That’s a gene called a glucocorticoid receptor which is know to be associated with cortisol release and production. That gives us a single gene that the breeding companies may be able to select for.
Dekkers said animals that are less resistant to disease require more veterinary treatments increasing the danger of pathogens developing resistance to antibiotics. •
— By Jim Romahn

Meat Packers Upset by Lowered Cap on Foreign Workers
The Canadian Meat Council is criticizing a surprise move by the federal government to reduce the cap on temporary foreign workers from 30 to 20 per cent of a company’s workforce, effective May 1 instead the Aug. 30 deadline.
The increase to 30 per cent was enacted during the Covid-19 pandemic crisis.
Moving the expiry up by four months was done without any consultation with meat packers, the council said.
“Make no mistake, the decision to remove these supportive measures is punitive for the agricultural sector, including our meat processors,” said meat council president and chief executive officer Chris White.
“By ending these measures, we are removing the crucial support that our industry needs to remain competitive, and we are undermining our sector’s ability to meet product supply requirements,” he said.
Before April, 2022, the cap was 10 per cent of the workforce. •
— By Jim Romahn

Province Renews Investment Into Veterinary Training at U of S
One of the country’s leading veterinary schools is getting another boost from the provincial government.
The Government of Saskatchewan is providing a $13.2 million investment to the Western College of Veteran Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan for 2024-25.
This is an increase of $667,000 from last year.
“Animal health and welfare is a top priority for farms across the province,” Agriculture Minister David Marit said in a government statement. “By allocating seats for students who are interested in working in rural areas, we ensure the livestock industry have access to the top-quality veterinary services they need closer to home.”
The funding not only supports the quality of education the students will be receiving, but it also subsidizes 25 total seats for Saskatchewan students. This is an increase of five additional seats for students who are likely to work in rural or mixed animal practices in the province following graduation, currently, the government subsidizes 20 seats.
“We continue to see a rising demand for veterinary services in the province and they are a key support for our growing economy,” Advanced Education Minister Gordon Wyant said. “This is a priority investment for Advanced Education that supports the continued implementation with five new seats, bringing the total now to 25 seats, that are available annually for Saskatchewan students.”
The WCVM isn’t just one of the leading schools in the country, it is an internationally-recognized centre for veterinary education, research and clinical expertise that is located on the University of Saskatchewan campus in Saskatoon. Based on an interprovincial agreement with three western provinces, WCVM annually accepts an allotted number of applicants from Saskatchewan, Manitoba and British Columbia.
This designation encourages graduates to consider agriculture-focused veterinary careers across Saskatchewan’s diverse livestock industry which includes hog production. •

Tail Biting Increases With Low-protein Hog Diets
Tail biting increases if hogs are on a low-protein ration, reports veterinarian Hannah Jansen of Southwest Ontario Veterinary Services.
She outlines her work on a posting on the Swineweb internet site.
Pigs that are fed low protein diets may spend increased amounts of time investigating their environment and foraging for food in an effort to find what they are lacking, she said. On the other hand, lowering protein is associated with reduced rates of diarrhea among newly-weaned hogs.
When environmental enrichment is very poor the pigs may increasingly redirect their behaviours towards pen mates. If the act of “nibbling” on a penmate should happen to produce some blood the pigs will become very interested in the blood since it can be an easy source of amino acids and other nutrients that are missing from the diet, Jansen wrote,
They found that:
Hogs on a low-protein diet had a lower feed intake, growth, and gain-to-feed ratio, and were more active than hogs on a normal ration or those on a low-protein diet supplemented with amino acids.
Those on the low-protein diet interacted most often with enrichment materials, such as hanging ropes and chains and straw they could chew.
Low-protein pigs showed more tail biting.
Adding amino acids and extra toys reduced tail biting in the starter phase. but did not help in grower or finisher.
Dr, Jansen said this study done in the Netherlands confirms previous findings that pigs that are fed low crude protein rations can be at greater risk of tail biting behaviour. •
— By Jim Romahn

Feds Budget $5 Million for Automation
The federal government is willing to spend $5 million for five projects to advance automation and robotics in meat packing and the fruits and vegetables industry.
Two fall within the Canadian Meat Processing Technology Development Challenge. One aims to develop a low cost-collaborative robot to help automate tasks, the other to develop sensors to collect data on fast-moving conveyor systems.
Three are for automating the harvesting of fruits and vegetables.
The funding comes from Innovative Solutions Canada, a program that helps Canadian innovators who want to start, grow, and get to market by funding research and development and testing prototypes in real-life settings.
The search for these technology advances is to ease the labour shortage. •

Tackle Sow Mortality Through Employee Training
Sow mortality continues to be a growing problem for U.S. swine producers. With already thin margins on sow farms, the ability to raise a gilt into a healthy third-parity sow is necessary to recoup the costs of her development.
“Over the last handful of years, sow mortality has been excessive, but in 2023, it was particularly bad,” says Adam Gutierrez, senior account manager with Pharmgate Animal Health. “We saw 15.3% sow mortality, a 1% increase from the previous year, according to MetaFarms.”
The trickiest part of sow mortality is that many factors contribute to it. Thankfully, through employee training, it’s easier to identify early illness and lameness. Use these tips to improve sow health and longevity.
Train employees to observe and explain.
Look for the abnormal.
Focus on feet and legs.
Provide the right enviroment.

Sow mortality continues to be a concern for swine producers, but training employees to identify and intervene early on in the disease process can help mitigate health challenges. •

Pigs at Play Fare Better
A research team the Western College of Veterinary Medicine is so convinced that pigs that play fare better that it wants that requirement added to the national Pork Quality Assurance program,
With money from the National Science and Engineering Research Council, PhD student Karoilina Steinerova determined that pigs provided opportunities to play ber less aggressive, recover quicker when exposed to disease and achieve higher average daily gain.
We know that pigs play when they are young, between two to six weeks of age and they perform excitable movement during locomotive play, they play together so that’s social play, they also like to play with objects, he said.
They also like to play with objects.That’s all happening during early development and we know it has benefits for their development.
It enhances social skills, cognition, and also motor skills but we really wanted to know whether this can be carried over to later stages of the production and how it influences the pig later in life.
This project which studied play for finisher-stage pigs was aimed at farmers because she said the team wants them to realize the value that play has on animal welfare and that it can be beneficial to financial performance. •
— By Jim Romahn

Pork Board Issues Disease Alert
The Ontario Pork marketing board has issued an alert to members to take stiffer biosecurity precautions because the risk of Porcine Deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PED) infections has increased.
It is also warning that Senacavirus A has been identified at a private assembly yard and at a related sow barn and nursery barn in Quebec and virus elimination plans are underway.
In an advisory to members, the board said “active cases of PDCOV and PED have risen sharply in Ontario. All producers and their business partners visiting the farm are strongly encouraged to increase biosecurity vigilance, particularly as we approach planting season where risk of transmission through manure movement is increased.
“Report all potential cases to your veterinarian as soon as possible.”
It is also reminding transporters of proper disease prevention protocols.
Genetic stock is the highest priority, weanling and feeder pigs are the next highest priority.
The barns you load out from must be protected and the barns receiving these pigs need them to come in clean.
Dirty places are DIRTY places. Cull assembly yards are the highest risk to any trailer. All processing plants are also high risk. Any shavings or manure present at the end of a loading chute at any location should be assumed to carry disease.
Know what pigs were on your trailer. If you have been hauling shedding pigs (e.g. pigs from known outbreak herds or cull pigs from assembly yards), these trailers are covered with infectious virus. These trailers must have a very detailed wash, disinfect and dry.
Transportation also includes the tractor. Detailing the power unit is very important. Cases have been found where the trailer was clean and the virus came from a contaminated power unit.
Wash your wash bay. If contaminated trailers are washed, the result is often a contaminated wash bay. You can reduce contamination of your wash bay by scraping known positive trailers offsite at a designated spot, then soaking the trailer prior to washing with a disinfectant such as Synergize or Prevail. •
— By Jim Romahn

Alberta Shuts Down Eight Meat Packers
Alberta has shut down eight meat packers who were operating without inspection.
The closures come after investigations by police, the Alberta agriculture and health ministries and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Those closed are Alta Halal Meat, Bismillah Meat and Grocery, Madina Halal Meat and Grocery. Maher Fresh Halal Meat. Mediterranean Halal Meats and Deli. Mustafa Madani Halal Meat and Grocery. Shawdesi Bazaar and Shawdesi Foods and Catering.
Officials said high meat prices led to the unlicensed businesses. •
— By Jim Romahn

Cold Treatment Rids Seeds of Mycotoxins
A cold treatment has been found effective in eliminating moulds and mycotoxins that contaminate seeds, reports Ehsan Feizollahi who led a team of researchers at the University of Alberta who made the discovery.
It is a solution to a challenge that has plagued Ontario harvests of wheat the corn, making them unfit for human consumption and a risk in livestock feed rations.
This cold plasma method successfully reduced toxin levels by 54 per cent and further research may increase that effectiveness..
The benefits extend beyond decontamination. Treating barley with cold plasma-activated water not only reduced toxins but also improved seed germination by 10-13 per cent. This can lead to increased crop yields and improved efficiency in the malting industry.
Cold plasma treatments are fast, taking only minutes to hours and leave no residues.
“With optimization for the conditions, figuring in factors such as the type of plasma, treatment conditionals and treatment time, we could achieve much more reduction than 54 per cent. Ultimately, that means farmers could use more of their grain, so there’s less waste, and from the health point of view, humans and animals can consume the grain and not be affected by mycotoxins,” said Dr. M.S. Roopesh, Feizollahi’s supervisor.
Feizollahi created two forms of the plasma — one as an ionized gas and one as liquid — and then used them to treat barley and wheat grains infected with two mycotoxins that are particularly troublesome in Canada, called zearalenone and deoxynivalenol.
Cold plasma can also decontaminate the water used in the steeping process, reducing waste and promoting sustainability.
In the field of physics, plasma is considered the fourth state of matter along with solid, liquid and gas, and has been attracting attention over the past few years, notes professor M.S. Roopesh, who supervised Feizollahi’s work and studies the wider applications of atmospheric cold plasma through the University of Alberta’s Food Safety and Sustainability Engineering Research lab.
The University of Alberta is exploring licensing opportunities for this technology and further research is underway to scale it up for commercial use.
“These advancements offer exciting possibilities for a brighter future for Canadian grain production,” the university said in a news release.
It estimates that about 25 per cent of the Canadian grain harvest is contaminated by some degree of moulds and mycotoxins. •
— By Jim Romahn

A Partnership to Drive Down Retail Prices
A partnership between Schippers Canada and Farmers Depot now resulting in lowerprices for Canadian livestock producers.
A partnership made between Schippers Canada and Farmers Depot in 2023, is now resulting in reduced costs which are being passed onto livestock producers through lower retail prices. The companies, which are known for bringing innovation and top tier products to Canadian livestock producers, have merged operations resulting in less warehouse cost required and more efficient ocean freight.
However, the most significant savings comes from the manufacturing of Schippers top global hygiene products to Canadian soil, making them here locally. This eliminates international shipping altogether while at the same time boosts local economies. Farmers Depot reflected these better costs by lowering retail
prices on farmersdepot.ca starting February 2024.
Key highlights of the partnership include:
Lower Costs – Local Canadian Manufacturing – Expanded Reach – Expert Support.
The partnership between Schippers Canada and Farmers Depot represents a significant step forward in the quest to deliver excellence and affordability to the agricultural community. As the industry continues to evolve, both companies remain steadfast in their mission to empower farmers and ensure their continued success. •

Protecting Pig Health During Warm Weather Transition
As temperatures warm up this spring, AP reminds swine producers about important steps for maintaining a healthy barn environment to protect pig health and productivity.
“Proper environment control requires transitioning barns from winter to summer ventilation,” says Dwight Naber, AP district sales manager. “Warmer temperatures can sneak up on us quickly this time of year.”
Naber recommends these steps:

• Make sure barn shutters on fans are clean and in good working condition. Remove dust from fans.
• Evaluate curtain and inlet machines to ensure that cables are tight on pulleys, so that curtains and inlets open and close properly.
• Check that fan belts are tight or replace them if worn.
• In a tunnel barn, remove winter coverings from the fans and replace with regular shutters.
• Make sure the evaporative cooling system is clean, including replacing any worn cooling cell pads. Refill the tank, put the pump back in and ensure it is working properly.
  “Finally, be aware of the weather forecast, and plan ahead with a strategy to protect your pigs from high temperatures,” Naber says. “Have your fans, shutters and other cooling system components ready so that if hot weather is forecast, your pigs can stay cool and at their highest levels of productivity.” •