Alberta Livestock Expo Cancelled
Sorry to be announcing the decision to cancel the 2020 Alberta Livestock Expo scheduled for October 7 & 8, 2020.
At the time of writing, we are in Phase Two of Alberta’s relaunch. Large agricultural shows, like the Alberta Livestock Expo, are only permitted under Phase Three. At this time, we don’t anticipate moving to Phase Three in time for this year’s Expo. Certainly not early enough for our Exhibitors and Sponsors to comfortably make plans for the show. Consequently, they’ve decided to cancel the Expo for 2020.
We will be processing refunds for payments made for the 2020 Expo before the end of September 2020. If you have not received your refund cheque by the second week of October, please contact Katie at or 431.337.8726.
Thank you so much for your support of the Alberta Livestock Expo, we will be in touch again next Spring with their plans for 2021. Wishing you a happy and healthy Autumn!•
Red Deer Swine
Technology
Workshop Cancelled
Every year, the Red Deer Swine Technology Workshop attracts more than 150 pork producers and farm employees to attend presentations and networking sessions with industry partners.
Swine Tech 2020—what would have been the workshop’s 25th installment—was originally scheduled to take place in late October. Due to the uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic and provincial health restrictions on large gatherings, the organizing committee has made the decision to cancel the in-person portion of this year’s workshop.
“It is with a lot of regret that we have chosen not to move forward with this year’s Swine Tech,” said Alistair Bratton of Olymel, who serves as Chair of the organizing committee. “We are evaluating virtual options for participants, but at the present time, we have no firm plans to continue with the workshop until 2021.”
Alberta Pork, as a founding member and proud supporter of Swine Tech, looks forward to seeing even more attendees, exhibitors and presenters at the workshop in the future. Stay tuned for any further updates to this year’s event and for more information on Swine Tech 2021. •
Banff Pork Seminar’s Aherne Prize entry Deadline Oct. 31,20
The Banff Pork Seminar (BPS) has become a leading event in the pork industry in North America. One of the most anticipated aspects of it each year is the awarding of the F X Aherne Prize for Innovative Pork Production.
Entry deadline for the 2021 Seminar is Oct. 31, 2020, says researcher Ben Willing of the University of Alberta, who chairs the BPS awards selection committee. The contest is open to owners, production managers, herdspeople, consultants, or anyone who has developed an innovation relevant to the North American pork industry.
“Innovations can be big or small, simple or complex and the creativity and innovation of entries always amazes us,” says Willing. “They can apply to any segment of the industry including feeding, breeding, ventilation, disease control and prevention, transportation, manure management, animal handling, facility and enterprise management and pork quality and food safety.”
The prize is significant. Since the 2021 Seminar is a virtual event the 2021 winner will receive complimentary registration to the 2022 Seminar Jan. 11 to 13, 2022, accommodation at the world-renowned Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and travel assistance. That’s a value of approximately $2,000.
“For winners the chance to spotlight their innovation and be recognized as an innovator by their peers, the pork industry and the Seminar attendees is very satisfying,” says Willing. “The prize is named after Frank Aherne, a long-time industry research leader.” Best place to find all contest details is on the Seminar website .
Follow Banff Pork Seminar on Twitter @banffpork. Connect on Facebook /BanffPork. Get complete coverage in a Special Meeting Report of the 2021 Banff Pork Seminar, presented by communications partner Meristem. Find the special report link on the Seminar site home page •
Saskatchewan Pork Symposium
Goes Virtual
Saskatchewan Industry Pork Symposium will be held in Saskatoon will held VIRTUALLY on consecutive Thursdays from November 5 thru December 3, 2020.
Full speaker’s program and registration will be posted on SASK Pork website, at saskpork.com plus see ad on page 32.
There will be no general sponsorship package available for this year’s program.
For complete details and updates follow saskpork.com
We felt it to be the best approach to ensure the health and safety of all production and processing employees and our industry partners.
We fully expect to be holding a live event in 2021! •
Alberta Pork AGM
Alberta Pork’s 51st annual general meeting (AGM) will take place for all registered producers and industry partners during the afternoon of Thurs., Nov. 26. Please save this date in your calendar if you plan on attending.
COVID-19 has impacted our lives and industry greatly, including placing restrictions on in-person gatherings. This year, Alberta Pork’s board of directors has chosen to host the AGM virtually, ensuring fair access for all participants while still adhering to public health guidelines.
Further meeting details, including registration, will be provided in early October.
If you have any questions about the upcoming AGM, please contact Charlotte Shipp, Industry Programs Manager, Alberta Pork by email at charlotte.shipp@albertapork.com or by phone at 780.491.3528, toll-free at 1.877.247.PORK (7675). •
Prairie Livestock Expo Cancelled
After much consideration, the Prairie Livestock Expo committee has decided that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the inherent risk to the safety of our attendees and exhibitors, we are forced to cancel Prairie Livestock Expo 2020.
We do however look forward to a return in December 2022 with a great show in Winnipeg at the Victoria Inn Hotel and Conference Centre and your participation in it.
If you have any questions or concerns that need a more immediate response, please feel free to contact Murray Smith at smithpoutlryconsultings@mymts.net . Or Dallas Ballance of GoodwinBallance Communications at 204.475-8585 or
info@prairielivestockexpo.ca •
Banff Pork Seminar
Going Virtual
Banff Pork Seminar 2021 goes virtual, Jan. 5 and Jan. 7
The 2021 Banff Pork Seminar (BPS) will have a different look for its upcoming event. The organizing committee for the Seminar has made the decision that their next conference will be a virtual one.
“With the COVID-19 pandemic our decision to move virtual to help keep our delegates safe was clear,” says Ashley Steeple, Seminar Coordinator. “Our 2021 Seminar will be an online experience. There will be an adjustment in dates to a two day event, held Tuesday Jan. 5 and Thursday January 7, 2021.
“More details are coming in the weeks ahead,” says Steeple. “Program information and registration details will be available by September and registration will open officially in October. We have some innovative ideas for sponsorship, and those details will be announced in September.”
The 2021 Seminar was to be a milestone 50th anniversary one, says Steeple. “However, we will save that official celebration for the next time the Seminar can be held in person at our partner, the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.
“In keeping with the history of our seminar we have very strong speakers and related activities planned for the virtual event and we are confident this will a rewarding experience for our delegates.”
The Banff Pork Seminar is coordinated by the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, in cooperation with Alberta Pork, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry and other pork industry representatives from across Canada.
More complete details will be available in the Inside BPS Special Report which can be accessed in August by link from the Seminar website www.banffpork.ca. Follow BPS on Twitter @BanffPork.
For more information contact : Ashley Steeple, Banff Pork Seminar, Ph: 780.492.3651 E:pork@ualberta.ca Website: www.banffpork.ca •
Manitoba
Swine Seminar
Mark your calendars for Manitoba Swine Seminar, which will take place February 3rd & 4th, 2021 in Winnipeg at the Victoria Inn and Conference Centre.
As of press time there has been no formal decision if MSS will run in person, a virtual platform or be cancelled.
More information will be available in future editions. •
Cramer Ag Expo
Keep Thursday February 11th, 2021 open for the annual Cramer Expo in Swift Current, SK.
Registration packages will be available in October. For complete details please check out the website
www.cramereventmanagement.com
As of press time, Cramer Ag Expo has full plans of being held, while aready considering options to create more space for distancing etc. Stay tuned to next edition and the website for more updates.
Please contact 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 •
Feds Spent $10.4
of $77.5 Million to Help Packers
The federal government said it has spent $10.4 million of the $77.5 million it announced earlier to help meat packers deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
It said the money has gone for 32 projects.
The ones federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau mentioned are Exceldor, a poultry company; Sunnymel, which produces pork and poultry; Breton Tradition 1944, which processes “natural” and organic meats; Oly-Robi Transformation, a pork company; and Montpak International, which processes veal.
She said in a news release that others are under consideration.
The money is to help businesses buy reusable PPE, sanitation stations and protective barriers, make adjustments to production lines to enable social distancing, develop additional training and adopt other measures that help safeguard employees from COVID-19. •
— By Jim Romahn
ASF Vaccine Trials Promising
Chinese researchers report positive results with a vaccine against African Swine Fever.
The conducted trials with 3,000 pigs, some of them piglets and others sows.
The results indicate that at doses 100 times greater than usual, the vaccine generated an 80 percent immune response.
The researchers report that during the 20-week observation period, the vaccinated pigs showed no clinical abnormalities or signs of infection.
They said it’s too early to predict when a vaccine will be widely available. •
— By Jim Romahn
China Citing COVID-19 to Ban Imports
China said it has discovered COVID-19 in meat imports and to allay public concerns, is suspending imports from packing plants where workers have been infected.
That has prompted companies to voluntarily suspend exports to China until there are no more COVID-19 cases among their workers.
In Canada, that’s Maple Leaf Foods at Brandon, Man., and Cargill at High River, Alta.
Argentina has suspended exports from seven plants, Brazil from a few and others are in Ireland and France.
There is no evidence that anybody has been infected from meat. •
— By Jim Romahn
FCC Review
Suggests Modest Increase in Farmland Values for 2020
Average farmland values in Canada are once again showing modest increases for the first half of 2020, although the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has yet to be weighed, according to a review by Farm Credit Canada
The national average for farmland values increased an average of 3.7 per cent for the first half this year. This increase is in line with mid-year results over the past five years, which showed single-digit increases for the full year.
FCC’s review showed lower 12-month increases in average farmland values for most provinces over the last 12 months compared to last year’s average, with the exception being in Alberta (8.5 per cent compared to 3.3 per cent) and Saskatchewan (7.9 per cent compared to 6.2 per cent). In general, the pace of farmland value increases over the past six months was slightly higher in western provinces and slightly lower in central and eastern parts of the country, with the exception being New Brunswick.
Average farmland values have increased every year since 1993; however, increases were more pronounced from 2011 to 2015 in many different regions. In 2015, the average increase was 10 per cent, and since that year, Canada has seen more moderate single-digit increases in average farmland values.
Low interest rates, the limited supply of farmland in the market and confidence among producers in the farmland market appear to be the main drivers behind the 2020 mid-year increase. •
Pigs Don’t Pass COVID-19
Pigs do not pass on COVID-19 according to research at Kansas State University designed to test similar results in Germany and China.
Dr. Jeurgen Richt wanted to learn if pigs react similar to cats which can be infected.
He infected nine pigs that were five to six weeks old – intranasally, orally and intratracheally – and at levels 10 times higher than previous studies to make it a strong challenge.
None of the pigs tested positive for COVID-19 at the end of the trial period.
His team was, however, able to infect pig cells cultured in the lab.
Richt remains cautious because the pigs in his study were relatively young and involved the current COVID-19.
He said results could be different for mature sows and boars and if COVID-19 mutates.•
— By Jim Romahn
World Food
Prices Are Up
The food price index rose to 96.1 points l in August, up from 94.3 in July.
It also said global cereal harvests remained on course to hit an annual record in 2020, despite drought and a wind storm in the United States Midwest. Rains recentlybrought some late relief to drought-stressed corn and soybean crops in Iowa.
The agency’s cereal price index rose 1.9 percent in August from the month before and seven percent higher than a year ago..
Sorghum, barley, corn and rice prices all rose.
The vegetable oil price index went up by 5.9 per cent.
The dairy index was little changed on the month, with falls in cheese and whole milk powder offset by stronger butter and skim milk prices.
The meat index was also largely steady, with beef and poultry prices in retreat while pork prices rose after four consecutive months of declines, as Chinese imports increased. •
— By Jim Romahn
Trump adds $14
Billion to COVID-19 Support
United States President Donald Trump has bumped up COVID-19 subsidies for farmers by $14 billion.
That’s in addition to $19 billion promised April 27.
It leaves Canadian farmers even further behind in the competition to retain North American markets and their farms.
So far Canadian support has been limited mainly to increases in AgriStability which many have said it not nearly enough.
Trump’s announcement comes as he’s trying hard to retain support in the upcoming Nov. 3 election in states, such as Iowa, with a lot of farmers.
Presidential elections are tallied by winners in each state, not by the overall national vote. •
— By Jim Romahn
Ex-premiers Lobby Trudeau Over Ag Exports to Europe
Five former premiers have written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking him to take direct action to fix problems with the Canada-European Union trade deal that they say are thwarting Canadian agri-food sales to the 27-country market, reports the Globe and Mail.
Jean Charest, the former Quebec premier who helped kick-start negotiations that led to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), a pact that entered into force three years ago in September, 2017, is one of the five.
They echoed concerns that have been repeatedly raised by industry groups such as the Canadian-Agrifood Trade Alliance (CAFTA) and warn that EU countries are still imposing barriers to imports that frustrate Canadian shipments of pork, beef, canola and grains to the common market.
On the other hand, Europeans have complained that Canada’s system for handling cheese imports is frustrating them.
While overall trade has increased since the Canada-EU deal took effect, Canadian sales of farm goods and other agri-food to the EU have not flourished as expected, said the Globe and Mail.
The former premiers who were all in power when the deal was struck include Ontario’s Kathleen Wynne , Saskatchewan’s Brad Wall, Manitoba’s Gary Doer and Alberta’s Ed Stelmach.
They said they were told CETA would be “transformative for Canada’s world-class agri-food sector, [which is] one of the largest drivers of job creation and economic growth across Canada.”
Instead, they say, the Canada-EU deal has been in place for three years and “has failed to deliver on its promises for Canadian agri-food exporters.”
They offered Italy as an example requiring labels on pasta describing the product’s country of origin, which “is unquestionably offside … both the EU’s CETA commitments and EU law.” •
— By Jim Romahn
Ban Obstructing
Livestock trucks
The province is implementing legislation to make it illegal “to stop, obstruct, hinder or otherwise interfere with a motor vehicle transporting farm animals.”
It comes after an animal rights protestor was struck and killed by a truck hauling pigs to the Fearman’s slaughter plant in Burlington.
“These proclamations will ensure the safety and security of the public and the provincial food supply while protecting the right for people to participate in lawful protests on public property,” the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said in a news release Monday, the day before the new law goes into effect.
“Stopping motor vehicles in traffic when they are transporting farm animals is dangerous for everyone, including those who stop the trucks, pedestrians, livestock transporters and other drivers,” said Ontario Agriculture Minister Ernie Hardeman.
“As actions like this are on the rise and public safety is a top priority for the Ontario government, it is critical to bring these specific parts of the act into force immediately to ensure safety for everyone,” he said. •
— By Jim Romahn
Viterra and STARS Team Up To Launch Calendar Campaign Fundraiser
Viterra Inc. (“Viterra”) is pleased to announce that it is teaming up with STARS to sponsor its 2021 fundraising calendar. This marks the sixth consecutive year that Viterra has partnered with STARS by covering the full printing costs of the calendar.
This initiative is STARS’ second largest fundraiser, with more than 60,000 calendars sold annually. The calendars will be available for purchase at Viterra facilities across Western Canada.
The campaign is entering its 28th year and has raised millions of dollars to date.
The calendars will be available until December 4 at most Viterra locations, as well as online at . Those interested in purchasing a calendar, or making a donation to STARS, can contact their local Viterra facility for more information. •
GEA Farm
Technologies Canada Inc. Restructures Brand Name of Manure Management Product Line
The GEA manure management product line manufactured in Drummondville, Canada, and distributed worldwide will now be branded as GEA ProManure.
The new brand name will provide strength, harmony and stronger product visibility, reinforcing GEA as the leader in the manure management industry.
“The launch of our new name for the manure management product line will be supported by the ‘GEA ProManure – Be Pro’ quality seal,” said Jeramy Sanford, GEA Manure Management Global Product Manager. “The seal represents GEA’s ongoing quality guarantee, commitment to our manure management product line and respect for GEA’s manure professionals worldwide.”
“GEA ProManure represents us perfectly,” said Nathalie Leclair, GEA Manure Management Marketing Manager, “and we hope that our customers—who are the real professionals—will identify themselves as the users of GEA ProManure products.” •
African Swine Fever: Virkon S Disinfectant with Proven Efficacy in Just 15 Seconds
•Study proves rapid effectiveness of LANXESS’ Virkon S disinfectant against African Swine Fever
•Virkon S kills the ASF virus in just 15 seconds
•With Virkon S and Virkon LSP, LANXESS offers two high-performance disinfectants for farmers
African Swine Fever (ASF) has reached Germany. Six confirmed cases of ASF have been detected in dead wild boar carcasses in Brandenburg since Thursday, 10th September. To date, there is no effective vaccine against the disease thus making it extremely important to ensure biosecurity protocols are in place to help protect against the virus from entering German farmed swine populations.
Virkon S & Virkon LSP are powerful broad spectrum disinfectants and among the leading products in the field of biosecurity. They are proven to rapidly kill the ASF virus. The efficacy testing against the virus was undertaken by a renowned Spanish institute for agriculture, food research and technology. Virkon LSP achieved complete inactivation of the ASF virus at a 1:400 dilution rate with a 60 second contact time, with Virkon S killing the pathogen in just 15 seconds at a 1:100 dilution rate. •
