The Veterinary Counselor with the Canadian Pork Council said the threat of foreign animal disease introduction posed by wild pigs has stimulated interest in bringing their populations under control.

The Veterinary Counselor with the Canadian Pork Council reports efforts on both sides of the Canada U.S. border to control wild pigs are showing success. As part of the Transboundary Feral Swine Summit, delegates discussed the damage being done and the risks posed by feral wild pigs and efforts to bring their populations under control.

The Director of Risk Management with HAMS Marketing Services is advising pork producers to lock in hog prices for the early winter to early spring months for about 25 percent of their production.

The Director of Risk Management with HAMS Marketing Services says profitability in the swine sector through this winter and into early spring will depend largely on feed grain prices. The cash hog supply has tightened due to typical seasonal trends combined with lower growth performance due to the hot weather, especially in the U.S. Midwest, and that has pushed cash hog prices to some of the highest levels seen in years.

A three-year benchmarking project being conducted by Sask Pork will shed new light on the frequency and application of antimicrobial drugs on the province's swine farms.

A Professor with Western College of Veterinary Medicine predicts, as the use of antibiotics decreases over the coming years, there will be a greater need to diagnose specific pathogens.

The pork sector, government and wildlife groups in Saskatchewan have come together to address the feral pig situation before it reaches the level seen in other parts of the world.

Research conducted by the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, in partnership with the Prairie Swine Center with funding provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and 14 industry partners, indicates grower-finisher pigs can be stimulated to engage in play.

The General Manager of Sask Pork reports efforts to bring populations of wild pigs under control in Saskatchewan are showing signs of success.

A Partner with Polar Pork Farms suggests global food security is being jeopardized by the war in Ukraine. A combination of factors including shortages of locally produced feed grains due to last year's drought, transportation challenges due to COVID and generally higher global grain prices due to the war in Ukraine has pushed grain prices to record levels.

The Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) reports the use of intrauterine vaccination as an alternative to needles to protect sows, gilts and their piglets from PED is showing promise. Researchers with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and VIDO are exploring the use of intrauterine vaccination as an alternative to needles.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced the finalized Front-of-Package labelling regulations today, which are part of the Government of Canada’s Healthy Eating Strategy. In the finalized regulations, ground pork and ground beef are exempt from the requirement of having a front-of-package warning label.

A Partner with Polar Pork Farms says that if the price of feed grain remains at its current high level, consumers can expect higher meat prices. A combination of factors including shortages of locally produced feed grains due to last year's drought, transportation challenges due to COVID and generally higher global grain prices due to the war in Ukraine has pushed grain prices to record levels.

Saskatchewan's pork producers are calling on the federal government to follow the lead of other countries and exempt ground pork and beef from proposed front-of-package labeling that would require symbols indicating products are high in fat, sugar or sodium.

Research into the microbiome of piglets taking place in Saskatchewan conducted on behalf of Swine Innovation Porc is assisting in creating new tools to increase the productivity of the swine herd.

A Saskatchewan pilot project is testing new technologies that will help pork producers improve biosecurity and protect their herds from disease. Farm Health Guardian and Sask Pork are collaborating to trial truck movement recording technologies at over 20 swine farms or businesses in the province.

Pork producers around the world are expected to be the main beneficiaries of research aimed at developing new subunit vaccines to protect pigs from a common bacteria that reduces the ability of the intestines of pigs to absorb nutrients, resulting in slower weight gain.

Sask Pork is undertaking a first-of-its-kind in Saskatchewan benchmarking project, thanks to funding from the Agriculture Development Fund (ADF). Sask Pork will receive $150,000 over three years to evaluate antibiotic use on Saskatchewan hog farms.

Saskatchewan Agriculture is encouraging the hog industry to reach out to local fire departments to help ensure they are prepared to deal with livestock transportation emergencies. "Livestock Transportation Emergencies" was the topic of a Sask Pork Spring Seminar yesterday.

Sask Pork is highlighting career possibilities in the hog industry thanks to a new Canadian partnership. Several Saskatchewan agricultural organizations, including Sask Pork, are bringing regional agriculture programming to ChatterHigh, a gamified content engagement platform used by students across Canada and the U.S.