Alberta Livestock Expo
Mark your calendars for the 5th Alberta Livestock Expo which will be held in Lethbridge October 11th & 12th at Agri-food Hub and Trade Centre (formally known as Exhibition Park).
Expanded floor space, hot lunch buffet on Thursday, banquet Wednesday. More details on website.
The always exciting Pork Quality Competition returns, with the top three carcases on display to be auctioned off to charity. Winners announced Thursday at 4:30pm. Rules & regulations for the 2023 Pork Quality Award are posted on teh website. James Bourret from Maple Leaf will be in charge of the judging, using Maple Leaf Lethbridge grid.
Online booth registration now open, as of press time booths 75% sold out. Check the website for latest details
albertalivestockexpo.com or call or email Chris 204.509.4941
chris@albertalivestockexpo.com •

RDSTW
Mark your calendars for Red Deer Swine Technology Workshop, which will take place Wednesday October 18th at Westerner Park in Red Deer.
Swine Tech is Alberta’s biggest technical seminar specifically aimed at furthering the practical, hands-on knowledge of producers and barn workers.
With doors opening, registration and booth visits starting at 8am, then a full one day agenda.
Some featured topics: Managing More Pigs Born Alive, Sow Longevity, Managing Stress in the Workplace, Low Stress Handling & Tattooing, Disease Identification & Preparedness and much much more.
See ad on page 19 for more details on speakers and topics. Early registration cost remains the same at $90/person or $400/5 people, (until Oct 2nd), then $110/person.
Online registration now open, booth bookings and sponsorship opportunities, and all the latest details will be under swine tech tab on the albertapork.com website.
For more information contact Charlotte Shipp at Alberta Pork 780.491.3528 or email charlotte.shipp@albertapork.com •

H@ms Fall Marketing Meetings
H@ms will be hosting their fall marketing meetings in three various locations in October.
Thursday October 19th, at Starbuck Community Hall, Starbuck MB. Starting at 3pm with a BBQ to follow.
Tuesday October 24th, at the Coast Hotel in Swift Current, starting at noon with hot lunch served.
Thursday October 26th, at the Coast Hotel in Lethbridge, starting at noon with hot lunch served.
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 •

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 2024 Banff Pork Seminar, January 9-11; you’ll be recognized by your peers and the pork industry and have a chance to present your solution at the 2024 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, 2023. 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 2023, another one to pencil in is Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium. The two day event is planned for November 7th & 8th.
Keynote speakers Felipe Masetti Leite (author and filmmaker) and Brett Sturart from Global AgriTrends. Other featured topics are: Day 1 Piglet Care, Practical Tips to Improve Load Out, Why Sharing our Farm Story Matters, Sow Longevity, Improve Your Barns Energy Efficiency, Future of Farming, Cybersecurity For Your Farm, Maximize Profits & Lower Costs, Re-imaging Employe Recruitment & Retention and Consumer Trends.
Full agenda and registration information is on the SASK Pork Website.
A block of rooms is reserved at the host hotel Saskatoon Inn, the group rate is $159 when booking quote the booking number 3324199 or state part of Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium.
For more details or information. Contact lynn@saskpork.com or 306.343.3506.•

Alberta Pork AGM
Mark your calendars for the Alberta Pork Annual General Meeting November 23rd. Location and more details in future issues. •

Brandon Hog & Livestock Expo
The one day Brandon Hog & Livestock Expo will take place Wednesday December 13th at the Keystone Centre in Brandon from 10am – 5pm.
The show will include a Pork Quality competition.
Online Booth registration now open. Check out the website hogdaysbrandon.com . For details and information contact Rhonda Coupland Tradeshow Coordinator at 204.534.0722 or email drcoup@hotmail.com •

Banff Pork Seminar
Banff Pork Seminar will return to the Castle in the Rockies January 9 – 11, 2024.
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 BPS2024 starting at $161/night plus taxes and fees for single occupancy. Space is limited so book early. Must book by December 1, 2023 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 7th & 8th 2024. More details will be available in the next edition. For more information contact Patti Clement at 204.981.8042 or
E manitobaswineseminar.ca •

Saskatchewan Livestock Expo
Saskatchewan Livestock Expo will return to its regular timeslot in February in 2024. Mark Thursday February 22nd, 2024 down for the 13th annual show in Swift Current, SK. The one day show will be held at the Kinetic Exhibition Park, featuring a trade show, door prizes, silent and live auction and of course the Cramer Cup series.
Registration will be open soon, watch the next edition for more information. •

Canadian Beef and Pork Industries Strongly Opposed to UK Accession to CPTPP Outcomes for Canadian Meat
The Canadian Meat Council (CMC), Canadian Cattle Association (CCA), and the Canadian Pork Council (CPC) are deeply disappointed with the agreement announced by the Minister of Trade recently to grant the United Kingdom (UK) accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
The CPTPP has, until now, provided a high standard for trade liberalization, but this agreement with the UK leaves a significant barrier in place. It does not meet this standard of open trade, and will undermine ambition with future entrants. The beef and pork sectors call on Parliamentarians to reject this ascension when it comes to a vote in Parliament until these barriers are addressed.
The three associations, representing Canada’s red meat sector, will oppose the legislation necessary for Canada to approve the UK’s membership until our concerns are addressed. Under the current system, there is no viable market access for beef and pork, so the sector is calling on the government to ensure the Canadian/United Kingdom bilateral agreement currently being negotiated will guarantee fair access.
Failing that, we are asking Parliament to ensure producers and processors for both products are fairly compensated for the damages and losses that will result.
The main area of concern for our industry is the failure to accept Canada’s meat inspection system, widely recognized as one of the finest in the world. The UK does not accept Canada’s food safety and animal health systems and measures, and those non-tariff barriers limit our access to the UK market. In addition, there is a lack of reciprocal tariff measures which, under the interim measure, have allowed
British beef and pork full access to the Canadian market without full reciprocity.
Under the Interim Agreement (Canada UK Trade Continuity Agreement) that replicates the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), in the past two years, the UK has exported more than 7,000 tonnes of beef valued at almost C$40 million to Canada. In contrast, Canada exported 657 tonnes of beef valued at C$7.6 million to the UK in 2021 and zero in 2022. The situation for pork is equally poor – the UK shipped 1,300 tonnes of pork valued at $10 million in 2022 and Canada shipped $0 pork to the UK.
“The recent announcement granting the UK accession to the CPTPP is a disappointing development for the Canadian pork industry. The inclusion of the UK without adequate safeguards and market access provisions for Canadian pork raises concerns about potential imbalances and unfair competition. We strongly urge the government to address these issues promptly and ensure Canadian pork producers are not disadvantaged in this new trade landscape,” Stephen Heckbert, Executive Director of the Canadian Pork Council. •

Port Strike Hitting Pork Exports
The on again off again strike is off again (as per 7/20/23). Members of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU) halted their 13-day strike on July 13, but walked off the job again starting on Tuesday afternoon, for 24 hours.
When that was ruled illegal because the union failed to provide 72-hour notice, the union filed notice that it would resume the strike Sunday (23rd).
The Canadian Pork Council and the Canadian Meat Council are calling on the Minister of Transport to give the same protection to perishable agriculture products as grain receives in the British Columbia port strike.
The Port of Vancouver is the most significant hub for pork being exported out of Canada to foreign markets in Asia.
Alberta Pork in addition to the Canadian Pork Council have strongly urged action from the Government of Canada to intervene in the strike, and will continue to push for resumption of activities at the port.
“We are seeking the Minister’s assistance to ensure perishable agricultural products, and farmers, do not suffer undue hardship from this labor action, and we believe a precedent already established for wheat is available to our agricultural industries,” said René Roy, chair of the Canadian Pork Council.
The British Columbia port strike action by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Canada which had reached a tentative deal, was rejected (as of press time). Based on available information, the Union and the Maritime Employers Association have suspended talks and are still some distance from reaching a negotiated settlement.
“We are calling on the government, through the Minister, to declare the shipment of perishable food products as an essential service due to their role in food security globally and in Canada,” Roy said.
“As representatives of Canada’s pork sector, we’re asking the Minister to exercise his power as minister to ensure these products continue to move through all Canadian ports.”•
— By Jim Romahn

California Sow Crate Ban Delayed
Pork producers now have until the end of the year to bring their housing up to the California Proposition 12 standards.
A Sacramento County judge’s order blocking enforcement of Prop. 12 had been scheduled to expire July 1, but the state’s ag department agreed that any product spoken for and in production prior to the July 1 deadline would be grandfathered in.
Judge James Arguelles pushed the deadline back to the end of the year for producers to become compliant but added that there would be no more extensions.
The delay gives Canadians a bit more time to comply, including for weaner pigs, market hogs and pork processed by packers.
The issue is that many U.S. buyers market their pork to California and need to comply.
The regulations, which were upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year, require a minimum of 24 square feet for sows – enough space to turn around comfortably.
There are also regulations for laying hens and veal calves. •
— By Jim Romahn

Successful Preliminary Trials of ASF Vaccine in Russia
The first vaccine against African Swine Fever (ASF) has passed the preliminary tests on commercial livestock in Russia. Despite the initial success, there is still a long road ahead before the vaccine will be available for massive use.
The Russian Federal Research Center for Virology and Microbiology developed the vaccine strain. Denis Kolbasov, head of the centre, told Veterinary and Life that during the trials, immunized animals were infected with ASF but, instead of dying, suffered the disease in a mild form. •

Hog Producers Improving
A national survey has concluded that pork producers have increased productivity and reduced their environmental impact by eight to 10 per cent over the last 30 years.
Dr. Mario Tenuta, the senior industrial research chair in 4R Nutrient Stewardship and a professor at the University of Manitoba, said “you name it, it’s improved, in terms of water, electricity or fuel, feed all improved and there is a number of reasons for this.
One is genetics and another is incorporating ingredients from the food industry and distiller’s mash from ethanol and booze production in rations.
“It’s really positive for the industry to see this trajectory that we’ve had and I think we can identify areas of improved trajectory for the near future,” Tenuta said.
More gains can be made if we change the diet even more, continue to improve barn design, go to renewable energy sources and further modernize production, he said. •
— By Jim Romahn

Farmers Urged to Step up Cybersecurity
Farmers are being urged to step up cybersecurity after the province’s first ransom demand from a hog farmer.
The ransom demand was to improve animal welfare and did not demand money.
Both the attack and the non-monetary demand are firsts, said Ali Dehghantanha, Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity & Threat Intelligence at the University of Guelph’s Cyber Science Lab.
His lab has been involved in 20 attacks so far this year, but none of those were farms.
He said farmers and agriculture companies should set up a committee to address cybersecurity.
He said agriculture is about five years behind the curve of other sectors of the Canadian economy.

He also said the ransom demand sent to the farmer included a video depicting animal abuse, but that the video was not of the farm targeted. •
— By Jim Romahn

Food Inflation Registers Nine %
Statistics Canada reported that food prices were nine per cent higher this June than a year ago.
But mortgage rates were 30 per cent higher. Gasoline came down and was the main factor in an overall decline in the inflation rate to 2.8 per cent compared with 3.4 per cent last month.
The Bank of Canada aims to keep inflation below two per cent.
It hit a high of 8.1 per cent in June of last year. •
— By Jim Romahn

Alltech Introduces Triad™, a new Swine Product for Successful Farrowing and Pig Livability
Alltech has introduced Triad, an innovative solution that promotes successful farrowing and pig livability through a palatable a proprietary blend of Alltech ingredients. Peer-reviewed research has suggested that supplementation of these compounds in combination can support the parturition process, reduce the incidence of stillborn pigs, and boost the number of wean pigs per sow.
Sow throughput can be compromised by a higher incidence of stillborn pigs and pre-wean death losses, decreasing overall performance for swine producers. Effective during short feeding intervals, Triad supports sows during parturition and lessened pre-wean mortality, driving more pigs and more pounds long-term. •

Rabobank Sees Better Pork Future
Rabobank predicts supermarkets will again start featuring pork, that production will decline and that prices will slowly begin to recover.
Prices are rising now because supplies are tighter, California has delayed implementing sow housing regulations and has clarified its proposals, Rabobank said.
With weekly slaughter down one per cent from a year ago and carcass weights down by 1.6 per cent, reduced production since late May has helped stabilize prices, it said.
Producers might expect to see a rebound in prices and a gradual decline in feed costs in the near-term, according to Rabobank’s outlook.
Rabobank expects at least a seven per cent decline in the U.S. sow herd over the next 12 to 18 months will be needed to restore herd profitability.
Additionally, large cold storage pork inventories, up six per cent from a year ago, are expected to decline throughout the remainder of the summer, and pork prices should continue to see improvement in the second half of the year, provided the expectations of lower production and improved consumption and exports are realized.
Overall, April pork and pork variety meat exports were up 10 per cent in volume and up by seven per cent in value from last year,
China – Hong Kong increased volumes by 26 per cent, South Korea increased by 43 per cent and Mexico grew five per cent.
Japan’s imports declined by two per cent and Colombia’s by 41 per cent. •
— By Jim Romahn

FCC Supports Customers Impacted by Dry Conditions in Western Canada
Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is offering support to customers in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba facing financial hardship as a result of dry conditions that are impacting crop quality and grazing lands.
Crops are at a critical state with extremely dry and hot weather creating adverse conditions in parts of all four provinces. Depending on the area, quality and yield are expected to be significantly reduced by drought. Subsequently, feed is a major concern for livestock producers, particularly in the beef and dairy sectors.
For many producers, the lack of moisture since June of this year is an extension of multiple years of below-average precipitation. This has also created drought-related pest infestations for some, compounding the challenges.
As a result of the ongoing challenges preventing a productive harvest, producers may experience a cash shortfall, particularly in the fall and winter.
FCC will work with customers to come up with solutions for their operations and will consider deferral of principal payments and/or other loan payment schedule amendments to reduce financial pressure on producers.
Although dry conditions are affecting Western Canada specifically, FCC offers flexibility to all customers through challenging business cycles and unpredictable circumstances on a case-by-case basis.
Customers in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are encouraged to contact their FCC relationship manager or the FCC customer service centre at 1-888-332-3301 to discuss their individual situation and options. •

Cultured Meat Approved by U.S.
“Meat” that’s grown from cells multiplied in fermentation tanks has now received final approval for production and sale in the United States.
The first step which came mid June was approval for labels that describe the products fashioned from these animal, poultry or fish cells.
The second, which came June 21st, is provision of inspectors from the United States Department of Agriculture to oversee facilities and production processes. •
— By Jim Romahn

U.S. Wants Food Competition
The United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A) is offering up to $15 million to 31 states that have signed on to a program to evaluate issues that reduce competition and threaten supply chains in a number of agriculture sectors.
The program is designed to help the state attorneys general to identify and address “anticompetitive market structures in agriculture and related industries” that lead to higher prices and limited choices for consumers and producers.
The bipartisan effort stems from a request from more than a dozen state attorneys general who previously asked the U.S.D.A. for help regarding agricultural competition issues.
The new Agricultural Competitive Partnership will study price gouging and other practices that negatively affect consumers when it comes to food, retail, meat and poultry processing and other related industries, the department said.
The research effort will include conflicts of interest among food producers, misuse of intellectual property and anticompetitive barriers across ag supply chains.
U.S.D.A. also is forming a partnership with the non-profit Center for State Enforcement of Antitrust and Consumer Protection Laws that already provides similar support to states.
The American Antitrust Institute also will offer resources to states involved in the project, U.S.DA. added. •
— By Jim Romahn

Transport Density Stocking Calculator
Visit the Canadian Pork Council’s website to access the new Transport Density Calculator to help determine stocking density. The calculator shows the minimum recommended space allowance for transporting healthy pigs in a well-designed, passively ventilated trailer. •

European Union Lower Pig Production and Pigmeat Exports Anticipated
Low numbers of slaughtered pigs on the EU market continue supporting high pig prices while EU demand stays high.
In the first quarter of 2023, EU pigmeat production went down 7.7%, supporting high pig prices. In June, EU producer prices were at a historically high level (+30% compared to June 2022, +21% since January 2023).
The per capita consumption of pigmeat in the EU could decline by 4.5 % and be around 30.4 kg in 2023.
EU exports to China are expected to further decrease and the EU continues losing market share to the US, and Brazil (among others) due to high prices. Overall, EU exports have been revised downwards to 12% (-3% estimated previously).
Despite a revised production (-5.5%), and because of lower exports, EU domestic use drop could be slightly higher than expected. •
agriculture.ec.europa.eu