Manitoba Pork says it is better prepared for a disease outbreak through a partnership with the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute.
In 2019, PAMI designed and built a disease response trailer, which it said is the first of its kind in the world, with patents pending. It is used to humanely euthanize animals when the need arises.
Diseases including African swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease and avian influenza have negatively impacted livestock and poultry populations globally.
“When we have disease outbreaks like this, it does require significant depopulations, which is unfortunate, but that’s part of this outcome,” said Cam Dahl, general manager of Manitoba Pork.
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“One of the questions we have as an industry, and it’s not just us, it’s anybody that works with livestock, is if we have to do that, how do we do that effectively and humanely?”
The trailer is a self-contained system that can contain and humanely euthanize animals. It was initially built for pigs.
“We can take it on farm if necessary and get in very quickly, and I stress the word humanely euthanize animals if that becomes necessary because of disease outbreak,” Dahl said.
Manitoba Pork and PAMI have collaborated on other research projects. In 2014 they worked together during an outbreak of porcine epidemic diarrhea in Manitoba.
According to a press report, PAMI assessed disease spread, manure application, virus survivability, incubation and infectivity.
PAMI was recognized by the Manitoba Pork Council in April with the Pork Innovation Award in acknowledgement of its innovation in the sector.
