Porcine epidemic diarrhea was a disaster for thousands of producers but surviving it might have set up the industry to better handle the threat of African swine fever. “We learned a lot the hard way with PED,” said Scott Dee, a leading swine veterinarian from Minnesota, during the Global Hog Industry Virtual Conference. “When we […] Read more
Author Archives
PED lessons useful for ASF threat
China shows that you can’t count on China – ever
China blocks Canadian pork and beef and proves itself a bad bet for any future relationships
China has now added Canadian pork and beef to its blockade of Canadian agricultural exports, as it continues to bash away at Canada. Canadian farmers will be the biggest losers. It hits them directly. Not only does the physical movement of meat get disrupted, but export prices will be discounted as Canadian product looks to […] Read more
Man. to help farmers protect wetlands
Manitoba farm groups cheered the long-awaited news of government funding for environmental protection on farms. While details are scant, the just-before-the-election-blackout announcement from the Progressive Conservative provincial government seemed to promise support for something many farmers have sought for more than a decade. “It’s extremely positive news,” said Bill Campbell, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers. […] Read more
Exports expected to grow once trade clouds blow over
A lot of people see black clouds not just on the export horizon, but almost covering the entire sky. Peter Hall of Export Development Canada sees the same sky but views it as a positive outlook. If all those clouds clear, it’ll be a bright, sunny sky. “We are seeing export growth going forward,” said […] Read more
India, Africa may lead boom in potential global pork growth
With all the talk in North America about Beyond Meat burgers and veganism, it’s easy to forget that the world hunger for meat is growing. Jim Long of leading swine genetics company Genesus thinks pork is going to remain king of the meats as the world grows hungrier for protein. “Pork is the number one […] Read more
Analysts predict wild ride in meat, grain markets
Buckle your seatbelts and get ready for a wild ride in meat and grain markets in coming months, analysts told the Global Hog Industry Virtual Conference. The meat market may not have yet realized how big the African swine fever impact will be in China, and the United States corn crop is treading deeper into […] Read more
Hogs perform better with familiar faces
It’s well known that hog barn staff turnover is a real headache for the operators, but it’s difficult for the pigs too. If a hog operation can reduce annual staff turnover to 20 percent or less, it can help pigs grow better, the workplace operate better and business returns improve, said a speaker at the […] Read more
Options contracts are good solution in volatile markets
Hog futures could explode. Cash hog prices could crash. Corn prices could soar. Grain prices could slump. Markets always go up and down, but this summer is hosting much more potential for explosive volatility than most years, without even considering regular supply and demand issues. It’s a perfect time to use options contracts to hedge […] Read more
Ventilation called key to successful hog barn
Pigs can be hit by conditions that are both below and above ideal if the temperature range is too wide; variable-speed fans are one solution
Cool pigs are cool with the barn. Cold and chilled pigs are on the road to sickness, and then they may perform poorly, dragging down a hog farm’s performance. “If you get pigs too cold or chilled, you’re going to get sick pigs,” said Justin Lowe of Chore Time, in a session at the June […] Read moreSend Chretien to crack China’s coldness?
It was a nostalgic feeling last week to hear the names “Mulroney” and “Chretien” being batted around in the national news again, connected with each other. The former Prime Ministers weren’t fighting, but rather Brian Mulroney was said to be lobbying present PM Justin Trudeau to dispatch Jean Chretien to China to try to fix […] Read more
