Opening day of Alberta Pork Congress was more than a bit special for the hog crew at Plainview Colony, located near Foremost, Alta.Barn manager Peter Hofer was touring the exhibits on June 12 when he got the call: The first litter of pigs from his first new batch of gilts had just been born.
Jennifer Wright
The Canadian agriculture sector is currently grappling with a labour shortage that significantly affects productivity and the ability to meet domestic and global commodity demand. Jennifer Wright, Executive Director of the Canadian Agriculture Human Resource Council (CAHRC), shed light on these challenges and their strategies to address them.Wright said agriculture has faced a
Dr. Lisa Becton
North American pork producers, in their proactive stance, take every precaution and focus on bio-security to keep disease-causing organisms off the farm. The Swine Health Information Center’s (SHIC) monthly domestic and global swine disease surveillance reports, released in its July eNewsletter, indicate African Swine Fever (ASF) remains the dominant worldwide concern and
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) can have a huge economic impact on a hog operation.So finding better vaccines against the disease would be a huge boost to the hog sector.That’s why a long-term, international collaboration between researchers at the University of Manitoba and the Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands uncovering
Brent Bushell, just laying out the facts
A hog marketing group based in Edmonton is asking producers across Canada to join together in developing a fair pricing system for their hogs.Spearheaded by the Western Hog Exchange, a new partnership has been formed, the Fair Priced Pork Alliance, to update Western Canada’s pricing formula to something
Damage from wild boar wallowing
The Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) uses cell phone cameras and remote trapping technology to locate and capture feral pigs roaming the province. SCIC oversees efforts to eradicate escaped or released feral pig populations from Saskatchewan.Dale Knouse, the manager of strategic operations with SCIC, explains their approach:“We’ve been doing this
The Canadian pork market is experiencing notable changes in hog flows and slaughter rates, particularly in Western Canada. Key players such as Olymel, Donald’s Fine Foods, and Maple Leaf are making strategic moves that are impacting these dynamics.Kevin Grier, who owns Market Analysis and Consulting Inc. of Guelph, ON. said Olymel’s downsizing has reduced
Foreign-trained swine veterinarians working through the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) to qualify for veterinary certification in Canada will focus on reducing swine mortality from birth to market. These veterinarians will undertake research projects to improve swine health and well-being as part of their SMART Swine Residency Certification Program training.Dr. John Harding, a
Greetings on a cooler, smoke filled afternoon. The heat wave we have been having has taken a back seat for some much needed moisture. As I am typing this my heart aches for all those affect by the wildfires, makes you appreciate the countless blessings we each have in our lives.This issue is jam
In an industry dominated by intensive, large scale operations, most with a fairly similar genetic base, there are still those who choose a different path in the swine industry.Hogs and Horns Homestead, located at Lavoy, Alta. – about an hour east of Edmonton – is one such operation.They are a smaller operation, raising their
