Oink, eh-S-F

Jun 07, 2022

How Canada has taken precautions to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever—from entering, and should it appear, from spreading in their countries.

By Andrew Joseph; Photo Credit: DarcyMaulsby/iStock/Getty Images Plus photo

Even as the world slogs through the pandemic of Covid-19, and the poultry sector sees surges of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus, the global pig industry in many countries has already faced the onslaught of the deadly African Swine Fever (ASF), as most of the western hemisphere prepares to keep it out.

The most recent flurry of ASF has been on the radar for four years - a virus that causes a hemorrhagic fever with quick and high mortality rates in domestic pigs.

Having spread through China, Mongolia, Vietnam, parts of the European Union and now closer to home in the Dominion Republic and Haiti, it is the first time ASF has been detected in the western hemisphere in 40-plus years.

It has not yet reached the Canada or United States - there has never been a confirmed case in North America - and both countries are deeply vested in keeping it that way...

To read the Full Article as it appeared in our Benchmark swine magazine, click HERE.

Video: Swine Industry Advances: Biodigesters Lower Emissions and Increase Profits

Analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG emissions) in the Canadian swine sector found that CH4 emissions from manure were the largest contributor to the overall emissions, followed by emissions from energy use and crop production.

This innovative project, "Improving Swine Manure-Digestate Management Practices Towards Carbon Neutrality With Net Zero Emission Concepts," from Dr. Rajinikanth Rajagopal, under Swine Cluster 4, seeks to develop strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

While the management of manure can be very demanding and expensive for swine operations, it can also be viewed as an opportunity for GHG mitigation, as manure storage is an emission source built and managed by swine producers. Moreover, the majority of CH4 emissions from manure occur during a short period of time in the summer, which can potentially be mitigated with targeted intervention.

In tandem with understanding baseline emissions, Dr. Rajagopal's work focuses on evaluating emission mitigation options. Manure additives have the potential of reducing manure methane emissions. Additives can be deployed relatively quickly, enabling near-term emission reductions while biodigesters are being built. Furthermore, additives can be a long-term solution at farms where biogas is not feasible (e.g., when it’s too far from a central digester). Similarly, after biodigestion, additives can also be used to further reduce emissions from storage to minimize the carbon intensity of the bioenergy.