7 10, 2015

The Cycle Keeps Spinning in the Hog Industry

There are things that simply don’t make sense but when one segment of a larger system misuses and abuses the rules, often for the greater good, the powers that be penalize the whole system.
Case in point with the vacant meat processing jobs, climbing hog numbers cutting into profits and maybe putting some hog producers

7 10, 2015

United States Hog Inventory up Four Per Cent

United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on September 1, 2015 was 68.4 million head, up four per cent from September 1, 2014, and up two per cent from June 1, 2015. This is the highest inventory of all hogs and pigs since quarterly United States estimates began in 1988.
Breeding inventory, at 5.99

7 10, 2015

Federal Election Candidates Don’t Lose Sight of the Importance of Farming to the Economy

There is an election campaign happening in Canada and various farm organizations and some of their spokespeople are telling the political parties running candidates, their leaders, and anyone else who cares, ‘take heed – farming is important, too’.
Tom Teichroeb, a cattle rancher at Langruth, MB says Conservatives, NDP, and Liberals where is the agricultural

7 10, 2015

Positive Signs for Hog Farmers in Canada

While the weaker Canadian dollar gives farmers less purchasing power, the stronger U.S. dollar puts more money into the farmer’s’ pockets when he sells his commodities, whether grain, special crops or livestock into the U.S. market and / or based off the Chicago markets.
Steve Meyer, the vice president for pork analysis with EMI Analytics

7 10, 2015

Canadian Producers Adapt and Americans Well Positioned

Veterinarian Dr. Leigh Rosengren – Rosengren Epidemiology Consulting from Saskatchewan says Canadian livestock producers are incredibly responsible when it comes to the use of antibiotics in animals raised for food.
By the end of 2016 U.S. pork Producers will be required to discontinue the use for growth promotion of antibiotics used in human medicine and

7 10, 2015

How Canada Licked the PED Virus

When the PED virus broke out in the United States in May of 2013, it gave the Canadian pig industry eight months to get ready for the inevitable – testing positive for the first case in Canada.
This dreaded bombshell dropped right during the Boar Pit Session, the conclusion to another successful Banff Pork Seminar

7 10, 2015

Canadian Pig Code of Practice Reflects Producers’ High Standard of Animal Care

While some may think it is going overboard to appease a certain faction of the consumer groups, others think it’s the thing to do to make sure farmers always give the utmost of care to their animals, while showing others the proof is in the pudding.
Dickson Gould, the chair of the Canadian Pork Council’s

7 10, 2015

Another WTO Hearing re – M-COOL

Representatives from Manitoba Pork, Ontario Pork and the Canadian Pork Council (CPC) attended the World Trade Organization (WTO) arbitration hearing on the U.S. country of origin labelling (COOL) law in Geneva in September. A delegation from the Canadian government presented evidence to the WTO panel of the damage caused to the Canadian livestock industry

7 10, 2015

CFIA Border Decision Raises Threat of PEDv Return to Manitoba

When an industry works so hard to keep a devastating disease from entering into their country, province, trucks, and premises, it doesn’t make much sense when government reverts back to old ways, say the swine industry people in Canada.
According Manitoba Pork’s weekly news alert, Pork Chops, on August 24, 2015, the Canadian Food Inspection

7 10, 2015

From the Publisher’s Desk

From the publishers desk,

As I am typing this I am sitting the Las Vegas airport waiting to board a flight home after a fun filled few days. In honour of my in-laws 50th Anniversary they took us on a trip.
Thanksgiving is a short two weeks from when I am typing this, and I am