Prairie Livestock Expo
Prairie Livestock Expo, which will be held at the Victoria Inn and Conference Centre Wednesday December 12th in Winnipeg 9am – 6pm. The one day show features the largest pork quality competition along with New & Evolving Technologies presentations. Free admission, free parking. •
Banff Pork Seminar
Banff Pork Seminar will take place at the Banff Springs Hotel January 8 – 10th , 2019.
The committee worked hard on finalizing a interesting and informative agenda with engaging speakers for the next installment at the Castle in the Rockies. Some of the featured breakout sessions will cover: Meat Quality, Animal Welfare & Transport, Feed Efficiency, Human Resources, Managing Robust Pig, Sow Longevity, Big Date & Technology and Innovators.
There will be two key note speakers each morning covering current important topics.
Such as: The Future of Protien; Disruptive Technologies, Public Preceptions & Implications for Pork; Scale & Speed of Change in China and Tariffs, Trade & Trepidation – The implications on the Pork Sector Now & Into the Future.
Online registration still open. For multiple registrants attending from the same organization, please register all delegates together to receive a group discount – register 5 delegates, receive the sixth registration FREE! Register by December 20, 2018 to take advantage of this discount.
Check website for complete details including airport shuttles. For information contact Ashley Steeple, Conference Coordinator, PH: 780.492.3651 or Email: pork@ualberta.ca •
Manitoba Swine Seminar
The annual Manitoba Swine Seminar will take place at the Victoria Inn and Conference Centre adjacent to the Winnipeg International Airport. The dates are Wednesday and Thursday February 6 & 7, 2019.
The theme for this years seminar is “Sharing Ideas and Information for Efficient Pork Production.” The Manitoba Swine Seminar will again host a series of presentations that provide useful information for anyone associated with the pork production business and present ways that each participant can contribute to the long-term sustainability of the pig industry.
For more information, please contact: Dallas Ballance, Conference Manager T: 204. 475.8585 E: Dallas@goodwinballance.ca •
Cramer Ag Expo
Thursday February 21st with be the 9th annual Cramer Expo in Swift Current, SK.
The largest multispecies show in Southern Saskatchewan always attracts a full house. A huge draw is the Cramer Cup series including awards for feed grain, eggs, a baking competition and the coveted Cramer Cup Hog Carcass competition. With a silent and live auction as well, copious amounts of meat and monies are donated to local charities.
Trade show is sold out, with a waiting list. Contact Kelly today to get your name added if do not already have booth. Kelly Turcotte trade show co ordinator at 306. 737.6262 or email kelly_turcotte@hotmail.com.
For questions about Cramer Cup Series contact Doug Cramer at 306.520.3553 or email cramerexpomgmt@gmail.com •
2019 Livestock Care Conference
The Livestock Care Conference is an annual event that brings together industry experts, stakeholders and producers to discuss the latest trends and issues in the livestock industry in Alberta. This years conference will be held in Olds AB on March 20 & 21, 2019.
More details will be available in the next issue. Check the website for updates www.afac.ab.ca •
Farm Fest Manitoba
Doug Cramer and Kelly Turcotte, the people behind the successful Cramer Ag Expo held annually in February in Swift Current SK, have launched their latest brainchild. Farm Fest Manitoba Outdoor Ag Show Inc.
Their mission with Farm Fest Manitoba Outdoor Ag Show Inc. is to bring like-minded people together with the purpose of working, sharing, learning and growing together to feed and enrich Manitoba and the World.
The dates for the show are July 9th -11th at Red River Exhibition Park, Winnipeg, MB
Their goal is to promote innovation and diversification in the farming community with the newest technology and science in our ever growing agricultural production, processing and manufacturing industries.
Doug Cramer and Kelly Turcotte have been involved directly with Agricultural Ag Business and Ag Events for over 30 years combined. We take a lot of pride in our Own Show “Cramer Ag Expo” in Swift Current and have raised over $150,000.00 for Charity at this Agricultural Trade Show. Farm Fest Manitoba Outdoor Ag Show will prove to be the most exciting, most talked about Agricultural event for 2019! The approx. 160 acres Farm Fest Manitoba Outdoor Ag Show will take place in the heart of the most diversified agriculture province in Western Canada. From Corn and Soybeans to the Vegetable Grower, Turkey Producers, Cattle Breeders, Manitoba Hog Producers, Potatoes Growers Manitoba Dairy Producers and Farm Equipment Manufacturing. Manitoba is full of Agricultural Innovation and are the food production leaders in Canada and the World.
The show will highlight, Agricultural Innovation, New Products and Inventions, An International Trade Center, Field Growing Plots, In Field Product and Equipment Demos, The What Farm Women Want Displays and The Farm Boys and Their Toys Section, and of course The Field House Refreshment Center.
This show will give Ag Producers the chance to see over 200 of their suppliers in one location and be immersed in the latest innovation and technology available! Exhibitors will have the opportunity to showcase their products during the 3 day Show in an Outdoor or Indoor setting. For details or information contact Doug at 306.520.3553 or Kelly at 306. 737.6262 cramerexpomgmt@gmail.com •
Manitoba Pork Producers Salute Federal Action on CPTPP
Manitoba pork producers welcomed the news that Bill C-79, the implementing legislation for the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), received Royal Assent in the Parliament of Canada.
“Manitoba pork producers are extremely grateful to everyone who had a hand in advancing Bill C-79’s progress through the House of Commons and the Senate,” said Manitoba Pork Chair George Matheson. “Thanks especially go to the tireless efforts of Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and Minister of International Trade Diversification Jim Carr. Canada is closer to being one of the first six signatories to the agreement, meaning our producers will benefit from immediate tariff reductions on fresh chilled pork.”
Global Affairs Canada has projected that Canadian pork exports to Japan alone will increase by $639 million following the implementation of the CPTPP. Manitoba is already a major Canadian supplier to Far East markets, and the value to our province of increasing exports could be more than $300 million over the next three to four years. Manitoba pork producers will have the potential to expand their operations, creating more jobs and bringing more revenue into the provincial coffers, while continuing to ensure that future generations will also have what they need to thrive. About 13,000 Manitobans currently depend on the pork sector for their livelihood. Increasing exports could eventually raise that number to 16,000.
The news of the CPTPP ratification came on the same day that Minister Freeland met in Winnipeg with officials from Manitoba Pork, Manitoba Beef Producers, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, the Canola Council of Canada, the Manitoba Canola Growers and the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. The meeting was an opportunity to discuss the details of the CPTPP with Minister Freeland and congratulate the federal government on the USMCA progress.•
Vet Drug Rules Tighten Dec. 1
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will have new regulations in force Dec. 1 restricting the use of antibiotics and other products that counter bacterial diseases.
A veterinarian’s prescription will be required for the purchase from feed mills of drugs newly added to a list of Medically Important Antimicrobials (MIA): supplements, premixes, complete feeds.
Prescriptions will also be required for the purchase from vet clinics or pharmacists of: implants, injectables, in-water drugs, drug premixes for mixing in feed.
This could have a big impact on small-scale poultry flock owners who usually do not have a veterinarian. They will have to find one, and poultry veterinarians are relatively scarce and busy with the larger commercial flocks. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association says “in order to issue a prescription, a veterinarian must document that a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) exists.”
It’s not sufficient that a producer has visited and/or received services from a vet clinic in the past. Instead, it must be shown that a veterinarian has responsibility for making assessments and recommendations regarding animal health and need for medical treatment, before a prescription for medically important antimicrobials can be granted.
Livestock-related growth promotant claims will no longer be allowed on packaging for products containing medically-important antimicrobials.
Labels for products containing in-feed and in-water medically important antimicrobials must include “responsible use statements”. The letters “Pr” (denoting prescription drug) will be displayed on packaging for all products for which prescriptions are now required.
There is a ban on producers selling or giving away a drug with Pr on the label to another producer. •
— By Jim Romahn
Canadian Pork Producers Celebrate the Royal Assent of CPTPP
Canadian pork producers are pleased to learn that the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) implementing legislation received Royal Assent back on October 25th and the Government of Canada on October 29 notified New Zealand, the CPTPP depositary, of Canada’s ratification of the Agreement.
“Canadian pork producers would like to thank all those involved in this process, including all members of the House of Commons and the Senate, along with Minister Carr” said Rick Bergmann, Chair of the Canadian Pork Council. “We are thrilled that members acknowledged the importance of Bill C-79 by expediting the legislative process” adds Mr. Bergmann.
This important step gets Canada closer to being part of the initial 6 countries that will reap the benefits of being the first to implement the agreement, along with Japan, Mexico, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.
Upon implementation of the CPTPP, Canadian pork producers will benefit from immediate tariff reductions on fresh chilled pork, a premium, and greatly valued product, especially in Japan. Projected savings of $51 million are expected following tariff reductions on pork.
Global Affairs Canada has estimated that Canadian pork exports to Japan are projected to increase by $639 million, or 36.2 % following the implementation of the CPTPP. This increase in exports will allow pork producers to expand their operations, create more jobs and have a greater impact on the Canadian economy. In short, this Agreement will help Canadian pork producers contribute to the $75 billion export target set out in the 2017 Barton Report. •
Pork Producers Gather in Ottawa to Celebrate the Industry
Friends of the Canadian pork industry gathered in late October to celebrate the success of the pork producers after a full day of meeting addressing opportunities and key files for the future of the industry.
Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay joined producers and shared his appreciation of their hard work and the important impact of the pork industry as a powerhouse of the economy. Minister MacAulay acknowledged the hardship of producers in supporting the different aspects of the business.
Canadian Pork Council Chairman Rick Bergmann made sure to highlight the work of CPC’s Board of Directors who give their time to do what they can to advance and better the pork sector, and in turn, the Canadian economy.
This reception allowed members of parliament and their teams to network directly with producers and get a better understanding of issues and policies that impact their work and their contribution to the Canadian economy. Senior department officials from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Canadian Food Inspection Agency, as well as industry allies and a number of embassy representatives were also on hand to network and learn from producers and industry representatives present. •
China to Import More Pork
China will be importing more pork because African Swine Fever continues to spread and reduce domestic production, Rabobank said.
China is already seeing local supply shortages due to the ban on live hog transportation from affected regions, even though the official number of animals culled to date is small relative to the country’s total production, the bank said.
Price pressure in the affected regions is forcing some small farmers out of the market.
“The possibility of a radical change in hog supply over the coming months could impact the international market,” Rabobank analysts said. Earlier in the week, ASF was discovered in a previously unaffected area of China, the southwest province of Yunnan. To date, ASF has affected 27 cities in China, mostly in northern and eastern provinces, resulting in the culling of 200,000 hogs of the 700 million slaughtered annually in the country, according to Reuters. •
— By Jim Romahn
Topigs Has Bred Lower Boar Taint Hogs
Topigs Norsvin says it has been able to reduce boar taint by 50 per cent through choosing matings of low-skatole hogs.
It says that now only two to five per cent of its market-ready boars have the chemical that gives off an obnoxious odour when their meat is cooked.
The company said genetics alone will not rid boars of the taint.
However, other researchers thinks they can use CRISPr technology to knock out the gene that controls puberty so market-ready boars have no taint. And boars that herdsmen pick to be sires can have that change reversed so they mature into fertile adults. •
— By Jim Romahn
Researcher Looking for Better-Marbled Pork
Dr Jon Meadus is working to create moister, tastier pork for consumers that can be sold for top dollar.
He aims to increase intramuscular fat (IMF), or marbling.
According to Dr Meadus, marbling gives pork great texture and flavour and is particularly good for barbecuing.
“The best pigs have around three to seven percent IMF,” says Dr Meadus, who is employed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
“The seven percent value would be similar to an AA cut of beef. Meat with more marbling is more tender and not so easily dried out.”
“It’s a way to ensure the consumer gets a good cut of meat with excellent flavour and texture,” he said. He is investigating both genetics and diet. He is testing corn instead of barley and varying levels of vitamin A. His early work indicates the Duroc and Berkshire breeds seem to routinely produce good marbling. Currently, most of Canada’s best-marbled pork is exported.
Dr Meadus says once he zeroes in on the best marbling genes and identifies them to breeders, the industry will be able to produce more marbled pork – not only for exports, but also for Canadians in search of premium meat.
“It’s a kind of quality assurance,” Dr Meadus said. “The idea is for Canadian farmers to continue to be top-quality exporters of marbled meat while also bringing that same calibre to products at home,” he told a publication based in Europe. •
Feds Provide Funds for Mental Health
Farm Credit Canada is collaborating with 4-H Canada and industry partners to create a national program that supports the mental and physical health of 4-H youth.
FCC will contribute $50,000 toward the National 4-H Healthy Living Initiative, which will be made available to more than 7,700 volunteer leaders and 25,000 4-H members across Canada.
FCC has also partnered with mental health experts to create a resource for managing stress and anxiety on the farm titled, Rooted in Strength, and has produced a series of public service announcements to promote mental health awareness in agriculture.
In addition, Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay said his department is working with Farm Management Canada to support a project that will explore the link between mental health and the impact on farm business management decisions. These initiatives will support industry efforts to better understand and address the mental health needs of the agriculture industry, he said. •
Flu Vaccines – Good for People and Pigs!
Dr. Susan Detmer of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine is encouraging everyone to be vaccinated to protect themselves, their families and their swine herds against influenza, a viral infection that infects the upper respiratory tract of most mammals. Peak flu season commonly occurs between December and February, but cases of seasonal flu are already being reported in both pigs and people. The more people that are vaccinated, the less those virus strains or cross reactive strains to the viruses in the vaccine are circulating. •
