Donald Leung was honoured as this year’s recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at Sask Pork Symposium 2023.

The Regional Director of PIC EMEAR suggests a key lesson learned from the European African Swine Fever experience has been the value of advanced rather than reactionary planning for dealing with an outbreak.
"African Swine Fever: Learning from the European Experience," was one of sessions at the Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium in November in Saskatoon.

The creator of High Heels and Canola Fields says simple strategies can make a big difference when it comes to dealing with the everyday stresses that occur on the farm. "When Stress is More Than a Season" was the keynote address last month at the 45th annual Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium. Lesley Kelly, the creator of High Heels and Canola Fields, a mental wellness website, and a co-founder of Do More Ag, noted mental stress can result in physical symptoms but the signs will vary from person to person.

A study underway in Saskatchewan will provide pork producers in Saskatchewan a clearer idea of which swine transport vehicle movement tracking technology works best on their farms. Guelph-based Farm Health Guardian and Sask Pork are collaborating on a pilot project to assess the performance of technologies designed to track swine transport vehicle movements.

The Strategic Advisor Agriculture with Workplace Safety and Prevention Services suggests an effective farm safety plan that that eliminates hazards should improve both the safety and productivity of the farm.
"Farm Safety: The Top 10 Greatest Risk Factors and How to Avoid Injury" was among the topics examined during the 45th annual Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium last month in Saskatoon.

A new initiative being developed by the Western College of Veterinary Medicine will help address the shortage of swine veterinarians across Canada. In response to the shortage, particularly in swine, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine is launching a new swine medicine advancement, recruitment and training, or SMART program.

Research conducted on behalf of Swine Innovation Porc indicates, in addition to influencing growth, the inclusion of amino acids in swine rations can influence gut health, gut development and immune function.

The Strategic Advisor Agriculture with Workplace Safety and Prevention Services says the key to maintaining a safe agricultural workplace is to have a plan and to make sure everyone believes in that plan and follows it. Dean Anderson told attendees at the Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium 2022, the sectors that face the greatest risks tend to be those that have the largest equipment without a formal health and safety program, including agriculture.

When managing deadstock, pork producers are encouraged to consider their own location, management and biosecurity situations when deciding on the best option. "Alternative Methods for Deadstock Management" was a featured topic at the Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium in Saskatoon this year.

A new cull sow slaughtering facility under development in Saskatchewan is expected to reduce shipping distances and costs for western Canadian pork producers while reducing the risk of the cross-border movement of swine disease.

The CEO of OPTIfarm expects the adoption of technology on livestock operations to accelerate in response to shortages of labor. "Is Technology the Answer for Improved Animal Care?" was one of the speaker sessions at the 45th annual Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium in Saskatoon last week.

The 45th annual Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium returned as a live event for the first time in three years this past week at the Saskatoon Inn and Convention Centre. Nearly 300 hog farmers, industry stakeholders and partners attended from across Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec for the two-day event held on November 15-16th.

An economist with Partners for Production Agriculture expects domestic demand for pork to be the key factor driving pork prices heading into 2023. "The North American Outlook for Pork" was the keynote address on Day 2 of last week’s Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium 2022 in Saskatoon. Economist Dr. Steve Meyer says, while U.S. domestic pork demand has been stellar since the COVID shutdowns of 2020 and has been a key factor driving pork markets, it's been a disappointing year for exports from both the U.S. and Canada.

Sask Pork honoured two local swine experts with Saskatchewan Pork Industry Awards of Distinction at the 45th annual Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium this week. Researcher Dr. Jennifer Brown with Prairie Swine Centre (PSC) and veterinarian Dr. Josh Lindenbach received top honours from the hog industry at the Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium dinner and Awards of Distinction on November 15th at the Saskatoon Inn and Conference Centre.

Research conducted by the Prairie Swine Centre shows a dramatic reduction in antibiotic usage on swine farms following Raised Without Antibiotics production practices. Dr. Bernardo Predicala, a Research Scientist Engineering with the Prairie Swine Center, shared his research at the 45th annual Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium 2022 in Saskatoon.

A veterinarian with Southwest Vets suggests swine farms capable of eliminating antibiotic use could have a marketing advantage over farms than can't. "Antibiotics or Not?" will be among the topics discussed as part of Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium 2022 November 15 and 16 in Saskatoon.

A series of over 100 videos and printed resources produced by the Canadian Pork Council is helping pork producers get a head start in training new swine barn workers. The initiative, under which the Canadian Pork Council, in collaboration with the provincial pork organizations including Sask Pork, producers and other pork sector experts from across Canada, developed over 100 training resources for swine farm stockpersons will be highlighted at Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium 2022.

A past president of the Canadian Association of Swine Veterinarians is suggesting that, as the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture declines, health status is king. "Antibiotics or Not? What Makes Sense for Your Operation" will be among the topics discussed next month at the Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium 2022 in Saskatoon on November 15-16th.

The CEO of Farm Health Guardian suggests effective biosecurity requires a team effort. "Biosecurity: What’s New in Protecting Your Farm?" will be among the topics discussed as part of Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium 2022 set for November 15 and 16 in Saskatoon.