Prairie Livestock Expo
The Victoria Inn and Convention Centre will be host for the Prairie Livestock Expo Wednesday December 14th, 9am – 6pm.
Join us for the one day show, which features the Pork Quality Competition.
Since 1996, hog producers and sponsors of the Prairie Livestock Expo’s Pork Quality Competition (formally Hog & Poultry Days) have donated over $415,000 to international, national, rural and urban charities such as hospitals and childrens organizations. As well, pork has been donated to Manitoba food banks for less-fortunate families in need during the Christmas season.
For details and information on or about the Pork Quality Competition contact Dennis Stevenson PH: 204.712.7133 or Email:
dstevenson@premiershp.ca
For information on and about the show contact Dallas Ballance from GoodwinBallance Communications at 204.475.8585 or email info@prairielivestockexpo.ca •

Banff Pork Seminar
Banff Pork Seminar will return to the Castle in the Rockies January 10 – 12, 2023.
The committee has worked hard to once again bring forth a very solid agenda of breakouts sessions and keynote speakers.
Some of the breakout topic sessions will be: Swine Health – Circovirus, Strep & E Coli; Sow Management – Feeding the Sow & the Farrowing Enviroment, Semen Quality; Technology- Digital Farm, Evaluation & Application; Piglet Management – Colostrum, Economics, Fostering Strategies; Grow/Finish Management – Late Finishers, Wean/Finish, Feeding Costs, Practice Tips; Feed & Nutrition – Reducing Feed Costs, Feed Mills; Building Engineering – Barn Efficiency, Future of Pig Housing, Manure Management and of course the ever popular Innovators.
A few of the feature keynote topics are: Pork Markets and Pork Economics on Wednesday morning, followed by Sustainable Food Production and Carbon Neutral on Thursday morning. The closing plenary session is, Your Story Matters with Andrew Campbell.
Another added bonus for BPS 2023 is that there is a new twist to an old format. The event will be back to in-person only, but in a revised approach, delegates will have an opportunity to view taped plenary and breakout presentations online on-demand afterwards.
As of press time Ashley confirms registrations are on target with 2019 so anticipating 700 -750 attendees in 2023.
For more information contact Ashley Steeple, Conference Coordinator, PH: 780.492.3651 or Email: pork@ualberta.ca •

Manitoba Swine Seminar
Plans are well underway for the 35th Manitoba Swine Seminar, which will take place February 8 & 9 at the Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre in Winnipeg.
The theme continues, “Sharing Ideas and Information for Efficient Pork Production.”
Some of the featured speakers are: Dr. Andrew Van Kessel, USASK/VIDO; Dr. John Carlos Pinilla, PIC; Bob Burden, Serecon; Cam Dahl, Manitoba Pork and Devon Baete, Invasive Pig Elimination Project plus several other presentations by industry experts.
For information on sponsorships or speaker fund please contact Patti Clement at 204.981.8042 or email:
patti@outstandingbranding.ca
Online registration now open, for the most recent updates and to register please refer to website manitobaswineseminar.com. •

Saskatchewan Livestock Expo
Saskatchewan Livestock Expo will return to its regular time of year in February in 2023. Mark Thursday February 9th, 2023 down for the 12th annual show in Swift Current, SK. The one day show will be held at the Kinetic Exhibition Park, featuring a trade show, door prizes, live auction and of course the Cramer Cup series.
For details or information contact expo manger Lisa Doyle of Vibrant Even Management at 403.305.1563 or
E: lisa@vibranteventmanagement.ca
Registration is open. Booths are 50% sold out. Check the website for downloadable form at
www.cramereventmanagement.com
A block of guest rooms will be held at the Days Inn (formally BW) 105 George St W, Swift Current, SK so reserve early, call 306.773.4660. Please inform front desk that you are attending Saskatchewan Livestock Expo.
For details on or about the Cramer Cup series contact Doug Cramer at 306.520.3553 •

Montana Livestock Expo
The Montana Livestock Expo will return to Great Falls MT Thursday April 20th for its 3rd installment.
For details and registration contact Doug Cramer at 306.520.3553. Registration is now open. Check the website for downloadable form at
www.cramereventmanagement.com •

Olymel Layoffs Continue
Olymel has announced it will close one of its pork-processing plants in Ste. Hyacinthe, Que., on Feb. 10.
The company said it has faced two years of difficulties caused by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the labor shortage, market uncertainties and other factors underlying the unfavorable economic situation.
The 107 employees working at the facility in its melting, storage and packaging operations have received a 12-week notice of termination, in accordance with Quebec labor standards. All employees will be offered the opportunity to relocate to other Olymel facilities in the region.
On July 8, Olymel announced a reduction in the plant’s packaging operations, following a reorganizing of Olymel’s workforce in the fresh pork sector and reduction in the volume of products requiring packaging. The primary processing facilities (slaughtering and cutting) are now able to cover the packaging operations previously handled in part by the St-Hyacinthe plant.
The company announced in 2016 it was discontinuing pork butt boning operations at the St-Hyacinthe facility, resulting in the elimination of 340 jobs.
Last month, Olymel announced it would eliminate 177 management positions in an effort to improve operating efficiency. The company closed its Henryville pork further processing plant in southwest Quebec last year. •
— By Jim Romahn

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Launches ASF Prevention and Preparedness Program
Starting on November 21, eligible organizations can apply for funding under the Government of Canada’s African Swine Fever Industry Preparedness Program (ASFIPP). The $23.4 million program is designed to help Canada’s pork industry prepare for the possibility of African swine fever (ASF) entering the country.
Funding for the new program was set aside in August 2022 to support projects such as biosecurity assessments and improvements, wild pig management, the retrofit of existing abattoirs, sector analysis and ASF-related research projects.
Applications from academic institutions, associations, businesses, Indigenous groups, and provincial/territorial/municipal governments will be accepted until November 30, 2023, and the funding will be distributed over two years. Program information and details on how to apply can be found on AAFC’s website: agriculture.canada.ca .
ASF is a fatal swine disease that spreads through both direct and indirect contact with infected pigs, pork, and pork by-products. No case has ever been found in Canada. Since 2018, however, ASF has spread across parts of Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean. The ASF virus cannot be transmitted to humans, and is not a food safety risk. But a single case of ASF in Canada would immediately result in the closure of Canada’s borders to pork exports, which accounts for 70 per cent of Canadian pork production.
Canada is recognized as an international leader when it comes to preventing and controlling the spread of foreign animal diseases into and within the country. This new program, combined with close collaboration among domestic and international partners, demonstrates the federal government’s continued leadership in preventing and preparing for ASF. •

Biosecurity and Livestock
All livestock and poultry producers should have biosecurity plans tailored to their specific operation.
Producers are encouraged to work with industry organizations, veterinarians and other animal health professionals in developing their plans. All farm staff and anyone living on the farm need to understand the importance of biosecurity and follow biosecurity protocols.
Go to www.inspection.canada.ca for the National Farm Level Biosecurity planning guide proactive management of animal resources on the government of canada website. •

Feds Invest $2.4 Million in Meat Inspection Technology
The federal government is investing $2.4 million in a Waterloo company that is developing a smart imaging system that can measure meat tenderness, freshness, protein, water and fat content on a packing-plant processing line.
It can also detect imperfections and eliminate foreign materials, such as plastic and bone chips.
P&P Optima will use the federal funds to build demonstration units to show meat-packing companies.
The money comes from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s AgriInnovate Program, which aims to accelerate the commercialization and adoption of technologies that increase competitiveness and sustainability.•
— By Jim Romahn

Roping in PRRS
A veterinary student in Iowa has found a simple, cheap and effective way to test for Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome (PRRS) virus with a knotted piece of rope.
Carly Bates tested the rope technique with piglets ready for weaning and found saliva they left on the rope could be tested just as effectively as gathering serum samples.
“Ultimately, rope knot sampling was easily executed, leads to minimal crate-to-crate contamination, is more welfare-friendly and a promising testing method for due-to-wean pigs,” Bates said.
“The next step is to repeat this trial in a low-prevalence herd to determine if the method is sensitive enough to pick up low numbers of positive samples in a population.”
The rope she used is non-bleached and about six inches long with a knot in the middle. •
— By Jim Romahn

Meat Packers Now Have Environmental Baseline
The North American Meat Institute has received a report that establishes a baseline for measuring the industry’s progress in tackling environmental and animal welfare issues.
All of the companies employing 2,000 or more workers submitted data for the report and the institute claims the results cover 90 per cent of meat production in the United States.
The survey found that 90 per cent of the meat packers require suppliers to maintain a written animal welfare program based on NAMI animal handling guidelines.
More than 80 per cent are committed to minimizing packaging waste and more than 70 per cent are committed to reducing food waste.
The report was issued just as the United Nations Climate Summit is going to begin mid November in Egypt. •
— By Jim Romahn

PigTRACE Tag Issues Cleared
After 10 months of supply-chain issues, hog farmers are once again able to get normal-time delivery of ear tags that are necessary for the mandatory PigTRACE program.
Jeff Clark, who is director for the program, said there were no major disruptions to the flow of pigs throughout the shortage but plenty of dancing to avoid problems.
The main challenge was cull sows, most of them shipped to packing plants in the United States and therefore requiring the ear tags.
“We were definitely scrambling to find supply and through that period of time, prioritizing orders that were extremely urgent.,” Clark said. Farmers faced fines if their sows lacked an ear tag.
The beef industry also had a supply challenge earlier this year.
In September, Allflex’s parent company, Merk Animal Health, opened a new manufacturing facility in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to complement its plant at Dallas, Texas. •
— By Jim Romahn

Transportation Code – Risk Assessment and Collaboration Planning Exercise Update 
A National Farm Animal Care Council Update (NFACC)
When challenges surrounding the lack of a national lead organization resulted in concerns over proceeding to update the transportation Code, the NFACC Board agreed and secured support from our project funders, to pursue a Risk Assessment (RA) coupled with a Collaboration Planning Exercise (CPE).
Both exercises were deemed necessary at this point to make the best use of time remaining under the current project to:   
• Unite the diverse interests around humane transportation into an achievable and cohesive plan,
• Ensure that any decisions are consistent with NFACC’s mission and processes (and risk tolerances),
• Ensure that we identify a viable path forward for the future.
Neither the risk assessment nor collaboration exercise will generate, in and of themselves, definitive “solutions” or explicit courses of action for the Board to follow. They will, however, ensure that all decisions eventually made are done so in accord with a comprehensive understanding of the nature and scope/breadth of the strongest preferences of the NFACC community. In the case of the risk assessment, this will entail preferences related to the risks and opportunities associated with the transportation Code, as well as with other solutions to address animal welfare in transport that may be proposed in lieu of a transportation Code. In the case of the collaboration exercise, this will entail preferences related to the respective interests (i.e., highest needs, priorities, and motivations) that are considered fundamental/essential with regard to whatever eventual decisions are made — and why.  
To this end, those responsible for conducting both exercises have prepared a two-phase data collection process. The first will involve inviting members of the NFACC community, who may be interested, to complete a short survey. The nature of this survey will be quite high-level and will be intended to invite top-of-mind feedback on the preferred future/fate of the Transport Code in relation to key risk and interests-related priorities. Once all survey material is completed and returned, membership feedback will be coded and analyzed. At this point, decisions will be made with regard to the prospective benefits associated with exploring key themes in greater detail among designated members of the NFACC community. If so, or at that point, invitations will be forwarded to a select number of that community to discern whether they may be interested in participating in face-to-face interviews (with regard to risk assessment, collaboration planning, or both). 
Upon completion of both the top-of-mind surveys and prospective interviews, all feedback received will be thoroughly reviewed and consolidated in the form of two reports that will be submitted to the NFACC Board. Both interviewers will also highlight prospective areas of overlap (i.e., possible “sweet spots”) that may be of particular interest to the NFACC Board as they review all findings in advance of deciding on the future of the transport Code. •

Rabobank Foresees Rising Pork Demand
Rabobank said demand for pork is increasing both domestically and in global markets, particularly China as it heads into a holiday season.
But it said producers remain cautious about expanding because of high feed and energy costs and uncertainties.
It said the industry should keep an eye on:
Feed cost volatility due to planting in the Southern Hemisphere, U.S. barge transport/basis, and final grain and oilseed yields in Europe, the US, and China.
Herd health, including incidents of African swine fever (ASF), and its impact on production growth in 2023.
Post-Covid consumer demand recovery in Asia.
Macroeconomic conditions that may impact currency and commodity values.
Competing protein supplies and the competitiveness of pork in retail and foodservice channels.
Geopolitical challenges that could impact trade policies and flows. •
— By Jim Romahn

APC Industry Award Nominations
Now is the time to send in your nominations for the Alberta Pork Congress Industry Awards. It’s Time to Celebrate our Industry!
Lifetime Achievement Award (Honours individuals who have played an integral role in advancing the pork industry in Alberta and celebrates their long-term commitment and unwavering dedication to the industry).
Farm Team Award (Recognizes the farm unit which operates in an exemplary manner through commitment and longevity of the staff with virtues of hard work and cooperation, celebrating dedication of the team toward working together for the success of the farm).
Pork Industry Ambassador Award (Honours individuals or companies whose efforts reflect a commitment above and beyond the accepted expectation of the pork industry in Alberta. It recognizes individuals or companies whose actions have become a valuable asset to the pork industry and acknowledges those whose actions have become models for peer recognition).
For more information or to nominate either an individual – team, please contact the Alberta Pork Congress office at 403-542-7906 or email kate at
kate@albertaporkcongress.com.  Deadline for nominations is February 28th. Awards will be presented during the banquet at Alberta Pork Congress June 14th, 2023.   Visit our website to make your nomination online! •

UPSIDE Gets ok for Cultivated Meat
UPSIDE Foods has received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration for the process it uses to grow meat from cells.
It is the first researcher to gain an approval that the process the company uses to grow meat from chicken cells is safe. It is not approval for the product, just the process.
Realize this refers to chicken, but is pork next….
The agency said in a letter to the company in California that “we evaluated the information UPSIDE Foods submitted to the agency and have no further questions at this time about the firm’s safety conclusion.”
The firm will use animal cell culture technology to take living cells from chickens and grow the cells in a controlled environment to make the cultured animal cell food.
The FDA’s pre-market consultation with the firm included an evaluation of the firm’s production process and the cultured cell material.
The voluntary pre-market consultation is not an approval process. Instead, it means that after our careful evaluation of the data and information shared by the firm, we have no further questions at this time about the firm’s safety conclusion. •
— By Jim Romahn

Missouri to Produce GMO Pigs for Researchers
After decades of basic research that led to successful scientific innovations, Randall Prather and his team of investigators at the National Swine Resource and Research Center (NSRRC) at the University of Missouri have become the go-to source for genetically modified pigs used by researchers across the United States to study various diseases that impact humans.
Keeping up with the ever-growing demand amidst limited resources has become a challenge – until now.
MU has earned $8 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand the research facility on MU’s campus and speed up the scientific discoveries that can help treat humans who are suffering from the same diseases shown in the genetically modified pigs. •
— By Jim Romahn

Dutch Lead in Pig Innovation Sharing
Seventeen pork-industry businesses, including some that market in Canada, have joined Dutch Agribusiness Worldwide to share information on innovations.
Among them are Topigs Norsvsin, The Schippers Group, LeeO and Nedap.
This global platform was created to make Dutch knowledge and innovativeness in all aspects of the pig production chain available to the global market.
Two of the founders of this initiative are Mark Schippers, chief executive officer of the Schippers Group, and Gudo klein Gebbink, managing director EMEA of Royal Agrifirm Group.
Looking at all the great innovations in the Dutch pig industry that are in full swing and the ones that are coming up, we felt we could do more to share this knowledge with others, the leaders said in a news release.
By joining forces with all of these partners, we have more than 300 years of experience to serve international partners who want to get their business ready for future challenges.
The 17 partners participating in this platform were selected based on three criteria: being globally active, being innovative, and working sustainably.
In the near future, the platform will expand its reach by opening an experience center to bring Dutch innovation and technology faster to all interested parties. •
— By Jim Romahn