Alberta Pork Congress AGM
The Alberta Pork Congress Annual General Meeting will once again be held in conjunction with Red Deer Swine Technology Workshop. The breakfast meeting will start at 7:30am Wednesday October 18th.
The board of directors are excited to share the 2024 Alberta Pork Congress will be the 50th. Special plans are already underway to make next years installment extra special with a memory lane, family fun zone to name just a few.
Following the AGM attendees will have the first opportunity to book your booth spaces for the 2024 Alberta Pork Congress June 12th & 13th.
To pre register or for any other questions please contact Kate Kelly at 403.542.7906 or email kate@albertaporkcongress.com •

RDSTW
Mark your calendars for Red Deer Swine Technology Workshop, which will take place Wednesday October 18th at Westerner Park in Red Deer. There is still time to register!
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. Registration is still open $110/person.
All the latest details will be under swine tech tab on the albertapork.com website.
For more information contact Rawya Selby at Alberta Pork 780.474.8288 or email rawya.selby@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. •

Manitoba Pork Fall Meetings
Manitoba Pork’s annual fall producer meetings will once again take place this November. Producers east of the Red River are invited to the meeting on November 8 at the Heritage Centre in Niverville, beginning with registration at 11:30am and lunch served at noon. Producers west of the Red River are invited to the meeting in Portage la Prairie on November 9 at Canad Inns, with registration at 1:00pm, meeting at 1:30pm, and dinner to follow the meeting.
To register for either meeting, please email info@manitobapork.com or call 204-237-7447. Please indicate which meeting you are attending and if you are planning to attend the meal served at the meeting. •

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.

Full agenda and registration information is on the SASK Pork Website.
Keynote speakers Felipe Masetti Leite (author and filmmaker) and Brett Stuart 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.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 priley@saskpork.com or 306.343.3507. •

Alberta Pork AGM
Mark your calendars for the Alberta Pork Annual General Meeting November 23rd. The meeting will be at the Sheraton Cavalier in Calgary. Contact either Charlotte or Rawya at Alberta Pork if require more information. •

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. Contact for PQC is Robert MacKay ph: 204.761.7935 or email
robert.mackay@mapleleaf.com
Online Booth registration is 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 has worked hard on finalizing the agendas of breakouts sessions and keynote speakers.
Some of the breakout topics sessions include: Feed & Nutrition – Food & Fuel Industry co-products, Amino Acids as Functional Nutrients; Piglet Management – Nutrition & Management of Weaned pigs, Considerations for Weaning age; Technology – Point of Care using real time data, ProHog Management; Genomics – What Genomics has done for pigs, Indicators of Disease Resilience, Application & Benefits of Disease Resilience; Grow Finish Management – Taking Care of Basics, Stocking & Density; Sow Management – Where have all teh Gilts Gone?, Prop 12; Swine Health – Internal Biosecurity, Saporvirus, Strep Zoo, Seneca Valley Virus plus the Innovators session on Wednesday feutring winning innovation for FX Aherne prize and finalist presentations for the RO Ball young scientist grad student competition.
Keynote speakers include: Joe Kerns, Arnold Drung and Sylvain Charlebois.
Online registration is now open.
A block of rooms is 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, formally known as Cramer Ag Expo, will return to its regular timeslot in February in 2024. Mark Thursday February 22nd, 2024 down for the 14th 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 is now open. Check the website for all the latest details and exhibitor registration package at cramereventmanagement.com
For more information please contact Doug Cramer at 306.520.3553 •

Advance Payments Program Open Soon
Hog producers can now apply for up to $1 million, with the first $350,000 interest-free, through the Advance Payments Program.
The program is designed to help producers meet short-term financial obligations and covers those who own weaned piglets, feeder pigs, market hogs and breeding stock (gilts, sows and boars). Pigs already sent to slaughter are not eligible.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Advance Payments Program, for hogs, is administered by the Manitoba Pork Credit Corporation.
For more information, please contact Randy Ozunko, Advance Payments Program Manager, Manitoba Pork by phone at 204.233.1913.
Alternatively, 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). •

Manitoba Pork Receives Almost $1 Million to Prepare for African Swine Fever
Back in early August Manitoba Pork received $944,340 from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s African Swine Fever Industry Preparedness Program to aid in the preparation and preparedness work in the fight against African swine fever (ASF), the organization announced recently.

The funding is divided between three projects: increased funding to support the work of the Squeal on Pigs Manitoba initiative, funding to aid in communicating with small-scale pork producers in the province, and a project to support the development of a response plan in the event a case of ASF is found in the province.
“Animal diseases like ASF have a significant impact on the economy and on the mental health of producers,” said the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “Investing in these proactive initiatives, led by Manitoba Pork, will help protect animal health and ensure the sector remains resilient and competitive internationally.”
The detection of African swine fever in Canada would be catastrophic for both the Manitoba and Canadian hog sectors and would result in not only a prolonged closure of international borders to pork, but a significant financial impact to our province and country. It is important to note that ASF does not pose a health risk to humans, other animals, or the food system, and to date, has not been detected in pigs in Canada. ASF is currently spreading throughout countries in Europe and Asia and was discovered last year in the Dominican Republic.“African swine fever poses a tremendous risk to our province’s hog sector, and we need to do everything we can to ensure that we are prepared in the event that horrible day comes upon us,” Manitoba Pork chair Rick Préjet said. “We want to commend the federal government for not only stepping up with funding to support producers and our sector, but for their continued engagement on preparatory work with our producers and our staff to ensure that we are best prepared for an outbreak.”
Manitoba Pork continues to work with partners in the federal government, provincial government, and with producer organizations and processors, along with other stakeholders across the hog sector on preparatory work in the event of an ASF outbreak. This work is focused on major areas such as communications, disease response, animal welfare, and financial support for industry, among others. •

The National Farm Care Council Update Updating the Pig Code of Practice
A full update to the Code of Practice for the care and handling of pigs will commence in 2024, pending the approval of a project proposal that has been submitted under the federal government’s Sustainable CAP program. Completion of the update will take a few years; hence the current 2014 Code will remain as is until consensus is reached on an updated version.
Of particular note: the 2014 pig Code requires that by July 1, 2024, mated gilts and sows be housed in groups, or individual pens, or in stalls if provided with “periodic exercise”. The hog industry remains committed to group sow housing on all farms and is making progress toward this goal, such that all farms will be converted to enable housing in groups by 2029. At that point in time, housing in stalls with periodic exercise will be removed as an alternative to loose housing. Currently, about 62 per cent of Canadian production has made this conversion despite pandemic-related construction delays. The Canadian Pork Council has also committed to providing public updates on the industry’s housing transition progress.
While efforts to amend the pig Code in 2021 proved challenging, ongoing dialogue since then has focused on rebuilding and upholding good working relationships between NFACC stakeholders concerned with pig welfare. The result is a renewed commitment to work together to advance the welfare of pigs. •

ASF Gene Identified
Scientists from Germany and Scotland have pinpointed a gene in the DNA of pigs that is needed for infection by African Swine Fever.
The discovery at the Roslin Institute raises the possibility that gene editing could equip pigs to resist infection.
ASF has killed more than 200 million pigs worldwide, is a major issue across Asia, and has the potential to cause major outbreaks in Europe and America.
Canada has been working on plans for coping lest there should be an outbreak here. Canada risks losing 70 per cent of its industry if an outbreak slams the door on pork and pig exports.
A team of researchers found that the gene, which is involved in the pig immune system, is essential for replication of the ASF virus.
There is currently no treatment available for ASF, although Viet Nam is testing.a vaccine.•
— By Jim Romahn

Pork Industry Hammered
Pork producers have suffered the worst and longest losing market in 30 years, says Christine McCracken, senior analyst for animal protein at Rabobank.
And it’s going to last into next year, said Lee Schulz,, livestock economist at Iowa State University.
“What we’re experiencing currently in 2023 and into 2024 is [one] of the worst stretches ever in hog production, as we look back to 1974,” he said.
He expects losses this year will average $30 per hog and next year $16.
The best they can hope for this year, with losses at one point having reached $58 per head, is a loss of $2 per head in the summer months, he said. Hr was speaking in July.
Helping prop up the industry for now are strong exports and similar struggles in competing animal proteins. Meanwhile, continuously improving production efficiencies and hog health lay a foundation for a rebound when the time comes.
Schulz said the cycle will turn, but there’s a heck of a hole to climb out of. •
— By Jim Romahn

U.S. Detains Pork From China
United States Customs and Border Protection Agriculture Specialists seized more than 1,000 pounds of pork from China amid concerns of spreading African Swine Fever and/or Classical Swine Fever and/or Swine Vesicular Disease.
All are known to occur in the region from which the pork from China originated.
The agency, at the Louisville Port of Entry, identified and halted 13 shipments from a single corporation in Hong Kong, all destined for the same company in Bellerose, N.Y.
These shipments contained various pork items, with some also including pork and poultry products, while one shipment concealed pork along with other prohibited foods, according to a news release from the agency.In total, authorities seized 1,104 pounds of pork, 298 pounds of poultry and 88 pounds of banned food items. The food items were destroyed.
Who knew that the Chinese, who are major pork importers, would export to the United States. •
— By Jim Romahn

CAHRC Supports Announcement of Temporary Foreign Worker Program Recognized Employer Pilot
Creation of new 36-month Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) validity period is a crucial step toward addressing labour shortages by simplifying the hiring process for repeat Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program employers.
Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) is pleased with the Government of Canada’s recent announcement of the new Temporary Foreign Worker Program Recognized Employer Pilot. This will reduce administrative barriers that had impacted Canada’s agriculture sector access to a reliable workforce that has the skills needed to support demands for Canadian agriculture product.
By extending LMIA validity for 36 months for eligible employers, the Government of Canada is addressing an important impediment to addressing labour shortages that have harmed the competitiveness of Canada’s agriculture sector. This pilot program is an important step toward ensuring that the sector remains one of Canada’s largest employers and continues to grow the Canadian economy.
The pilot program further compliments CAHRC’s work through the Quality AgriWorkforce Management Program (QAMP). Through the development of this program, CAHRC has consistently heard from agriculture employers who are concerned that annual LMIA requirements represent an unnecessary administrative burden. This announcement aligns with CAHRC’s work through the QAMP that assists employers with navigating and streamlining the TFWP application process. •

Manitoba Hog Sector Provides Abundance of Jobs in Province
Fifty-five per cent of all agriculture and food processing jobs in Manitoba are tied to the hog sector, according to an independent economic impact analysis released recently by Manitoba Pork. Numbers compiled by Serecon also show that the provincial hog sector contributes 22,000 jobs across Manitoba in both urban and rural communities, as well as over $2.3 billion to the provincial GDP annually. Each year, Manitoba’s hog sector directly contributes $139 million to the provincial government in tax revenue, and another $87 million in municipal tax revenue.
“The contributions of Manitoba’s hog farming and pork processing sector to the provincial economy are substantial and show that our sector is an economic powerhouse for communities both large and small,” said Rick Préjet, chair of Manitoba Pork. “Our direct and indirect financial support allows both the provincial and municipal governments to fund key priorities, like health care, education, and infrastructure. The growth and success of urban and rural communities can be directly tied to hog farming and value-added processing.”
Manitoba’s hog sector continues to reinforce its commitment to the province. Over 40 new barn sites or expansions have been approved across the province since 2017, adding over $200 million in new private investment in primary agricultural production. Manitoba’s hog sector is also attracting new value-added investment, such as the recent $182 million expansion of the Maple Leaf Foods bacon facility in Winnipeg, the recent announcement of the $52.8 million expansion at Winkler Meats, and the $35 million invested by the genetics company Topigs Norsvin on a new facility just outside of Plumas.
“Manitoba’s hog sector looks forward to continuing our legacy of growth and sustainability in the coming years, with the right conditions in which to expand local economies, build new barns, and continue to employ over 22,000 Manitobans,” added Préjet. “We will continue to work with our partners across the province, including both the provincial and municipal governments, on ensuring our sector supports our communities for decades to come.” •

Bacon Prices Up 130 Per Cent
Bacon prices have more than doubled in the last six weeks, the steepest increase in recent history, and California’s ban on sow gestation crates is to blame, said Brian Earnest, a market analyst for CoBank.
And he predicts more price increases are coming for retail pork because of California’s Proposition 12 which went into effect July 1.
CoBank said other factors are soft consumer demand for pork and a murky outlook for U.S. pork exports.”
Massachusetts is also set to implement strict animal welfare rules.
Challenges to both state measures currently are being considered by Congress, with representatives battling over legislative efforts to overturn Prop 12 through the proposed Exposing Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act. Attorneys general from 16 U.S. states also are asking federal lawmakers to “fix” the California law, which voters approved in 2018. •
— By Jim Romahn

Protocol Controlled Barn Entry System Debuted
Farm Health Guardian showcased a working demo recently at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show in Ontario. The system uses facial recognition technology to proactively control livestock and poultry barn entry points enabling farm managers to lower the risk of disease entry and protect animal health.
Protocol not only allows farmers and integrators to take full control of who can enter their farm production sites, it also simplifies biosecurity management. The technology automatically factors in criteria such as previous visits, downtime between barns and farm health status.
It is more secure than standard door locks, access keypads, or RFID cards because they lack the behind-the-scenes biosecurity information.
The Protocol software offers flexibility and is configurable to downtime, health status, flows and other biosecurity policies for any individual farm system. It is even adaptable to roll-up doors and fumigation rooms to ensure that deliveries are biosecure. •

JYGA Technologies Introduces the GESTAL L-Track, a Wireless Feed Bin Sensor
JYGA Technologies, an innovative company that specialize in smart sow feeding solutions, is proud to introduce the launch of its new product, the GESTAL L-Track. It gives farming industry players an accurate and effective solution to monitor in real time the level of feed in bins, allowing smarter and cost-effective inventory management.
Ideal for all Types of Production
The GESTAL L-Track gives managers a practical, precise, and cost-effective solution to manage feed bins for all types of production. This innovation will improve productivity, security, and profitability of farm operations.
Finding the Perfect Feed Level Sensor on the Market
Innovators at heart, the R&D team got to work to create a convenient, safe, and reliable product.
The L-Track Effect: A wireless module that can help you optimize feed inventory management. Quick & Easy Installation: Real Time Feed Monitoring: Safety First:There’s no requirement to climb the bin for manual level checks anymore.•

Nebula Group of Companies Expands
Nebula Group of companies, founded in 2015 in Waterloo ON has expanded by purchasing Envirotech Ag Systems in April 2022 and more recently South Country Livestock Ltd in May of 2023.
Both companies specialize in the design and automation of confined livestock production systems focusing on technologies and services that are superior in farm efficiencies and animal welfare as they pertain to rearing, feeding, watering and ventilation.
South Country Livestock Equipment was founded in Lethbridge over 40 years ago. Envirotech Ag Systems based out of Winnipeg and Sioux Falls, SD have served livestock producers since 1995.
South Country Livestock and Envirotech Ag Systems will continue to provide the same level of service and high end product offerings that its current customers have come to expect from their organizations.Most things will remain unchanged with respect to the overall company structure, current employees and support personal with in each of their organizations respectively. With the collaboration between our companies, we are focused on sustainable growth through better servicing of existing markets and being able to provide new and innovative offerings. For the benefit of our producer partners, employees and industry as a whole, these partnerships provide the basis for the next chapter of our companies, with novel business opportunities and a stronger ability to navigate the ever changing and progressive nature of the primary agricultural industry.
On behalf of Envirotech Ag Systems, South Country Livestock and the Nebula Group of Companies, we thank our employees, our customers and out industry suppliers for their loyality and confidence over all these years and most importantly, we look forward to the bright future ahead of us all.
Your Farm. Your Passion. Our Purpose •