https://www.farms.com/swine/ News-Swine related content provided by https://www.farms.com/ Copyright � 1995-2026 Farms.com, Ltd. All Rights Reserved. The House Agriculture Committee advanced a new farm bill proposal that supports pork producers through regulatory relief, trade program funding, animal health protections, and new measures to address animal disease risks. https://www.farms.com/ag-industry-news/house-committee-advances-farm-bill-relief-and-regulatory-relief-for-state-animal-housing-laws-312.aspx NEWS_239312 Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:07:10 GMT An advocacy group of farmers and environmental organizations wants Health Canada to implement mandatory labelling on pork from gene-edited pigs.  Earlier this year, the federal agency approved the sale of gene-edited pigs as food. The pigs are resistant to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus, called PRRSV-resistant pigs.  “It is expected that by addressing PRRSV in pigs, farmers can prevent severe illness and death in their herds, reduce the need for antibiotics, and improve animal welfare,” Health Canada said in an email to The Canadian Press. In January, Health Canada released a statement saying that the pigs do not “pose a greater risk to human health than pigs currently available,” and added that there are “no differences in the nutritional value of the PRRSV-resistant pigs compared to other pigs.”  “Because Health Canada found no health or safety concerns, no special labelling is required for foods from these PRRSV-resistant pigs,” the agency said. In fact, as https://www.farms.com/news/group-calls-on-health-canada-to-make-labels-mandatory-for-gene-edited-pork-239309.aspx NEWS_239309 Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:03:08 GMT The country’s top four beef packers buy more than 80% of cattle, while a separate group of pork processors account for about two-thirds of hog purchases, according to the US Department of Agriculture,” Peng and Nylen reported. https://www.farms.com/news/senate-dems-seek-to-break-up-meatpacking-industry-239285.aspx NEWS_239285 Tue, 10 Mar 2026 06:57:20 GMT Brad Leuwerke, DVM, was named the 2026 Swine Practitioner of the Year by the American Association of Swine Veterinarians during the association’s 57th Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. The award is given to the swine practitioner who has demonstrated an unusual degree of proficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of veterinary service to clients.  Originally from a farm near Forest City, Iowa, Leuwerke earned an MSc in veterinary microbiology and preventative medicine and DVM from Iowa State University in 2006.  Leuwerke joined the Swine Vet Center in St. Peter, Minnesota, immediately after graduation. There, he oversees sow herd and nursery/grow-finish health, trains clients on health topics and conducts research.  Leuwerke stands out for his balance of science, common sense and character. Clients view him as a “kind, humble, empathetic leader and a talented, approachable resource.” His critical thinking skills and ability to contribute on topics such as animal welfare, infec https://www.farms.com/news/brad-leuwerke-named-2026-swine-practitioner-of-the-year-239270.aspx NEWS_239270 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:26:53 GMT A Swine Health Information Center-funded study aimed to improve detection of common and emerging swine pathogens using a next generation sequencing panel. Led by Rebecca Wilkes at Purdue University, the study sought to develop and validate a targeted next-generation sequencing respiratory panel capable of detecting multiple viral and bacterial swine respiratory pathogens in a single test. Swine respiratory disease is often caused by multiple pathogen infections occurring simultaneously, making diagnosis and control difficult when relying on single-pathogen tests. Results from this study showed strong agreement between tNGS and PCR, high specificity, and robust sensitivity across clinically relevant pathogen loads. Moreover, the panel successfully identified mixed infections and detected pathogens that may be missed by targeted PCR testing alone.   Infectious disease syndromes in swine are?frequently?multifactorial and can be challenging to?determine?the causative pathogen(s) by clinic https://www.farms.com/news/purdue-led-study-enhances-swine-respiratory-disease-testing-239269.aspx NEWS_239269 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:24:50 GMT Negotiating hog prices takes time and costs money. Formula pricing means using a price determined by a mathematical formula. In this case, the price established for a specified market serves as the basis for the formula. To be fair to both buyer and seller, the formula must reflect true market value. Livestock Mandatory Reporting began in 2001. Back then, nearly all hogs priced with a swine or pork market formula used the national, Iowa/Minnesota or Western Cornbelt negotiated hog price as a base price. Over time, other base prices have also been used for swine or pork market formulas including the CME Lean Hog Index or a pork carcass cutout value. Some of these formulas are hybrids and use both a market for swine and a market for pork in the calculation. Whichever base price buyers and sellers choose, its market must have enough trading volume to instill confidence among all players that the formula reflects true hog market value. During 2001–2009 negotiated hog sales averaged 14.2 https://www.farms.com/news/is-trading-volume-too-thin-in-pork-markets-239268.aspx NEWS_239268 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:23:24 GMT A new proposal introduced in the U.S. Senate is once again putting the structure of the American meatpacking industry under the spotlight, raising questions about competition, market concentration, and the future of livestock processing. The legislation, backed by several Senate Democrats, aims to limit how large meatpacking companies operate by potentially requiring major processors to focus on a single species. Under the proposal, companies that currently process multiple proteins—such as beef, pork, and poultry—could be required to separate those operations. Supporters of the proposal argue the measure could encourage greater competition in livestock markets and create more opportunities for independent processors. They believe changes to industry structure could help address concerns about market concentration and improve price discovery for livestock producers. The debate around consolidation in the meatpacking sector has been ongoing for decades. A relatively small number of l https://www.farms.com/news/senate-proposal-targets-structure-of-the-u-s-meatpacking-industry-239267.aspx NEWS_239267 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:20:43 GMT Processing capacity remains a critical issue for the pork industry, and a new rulemaking effort by the U.S. Department of Agriculture is once again focusing attention on maximum line speeds in swine processing plants. The discussion centers on facilities operating under the New Swine Inspection System (NSIS), a modernized inspection approach designed to provide plants with greater operational flexibility while maintaining federal oversight of food safety. The system allows processing establishments to take on more responsibility for sorting and identifying defects before animals reach federal inspectors, with the goal of improving efficiency while maintaining inspection standards. Under traditional regulations, swine slaughter plants have operated with defined limits on how many hogs can be processed per hour. However, the industry has argued that advances in technology, improved plant design, and enhanced process controls now allow facilities to safely operate at higher speeds while https://www.farms.com/news/usda-reviews-maximum-line-speeds-under-the-new-swine-inspection-system-239266.aspx NEWS_239266 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:19:23 GMT Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live and feeder cattle futures were mixed on Tuesday on support from strengthening boxed beef prices amid quiet cash trade, Reuters reported, citing analysts. CME April live cattle futures closed 1.025 cents higher to 234.125 cents per pound. April feeder cattle fell 0.025 cent to settle at 353.30 cents per pound. Cash cattle prices traded lower last week, which helped shore up beef packer margins, though they still remain deeply in the red. The average beef packer margin was estimated at a negative $183.70 per head, compared with a negative $334.90 per head a week ago, according to livestock marketing advisory service HedgersEdge. The US cattle herd has lingered near a 75-year low, and the closure of the US-Mexico border to Mexican cattle imports has constricted the already-tight cattle supply. A looming strike at a large beef plant in Greeley, Colorado, hung over the market, as a loss of production would dent demand for fed cattle and further we https://www.farms.com/news/lean-hog-futures-edge-higher-on-technical-buying-cme-239265.aspx NEWS_239265 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:18:14 GMT Feed-4-Profit is a new online financial model that will aid swine nutritionists in developing nutritional strategies that maximize pig growth potential and profitability. The 2026 American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) Midwest Section Non-ruminant symposium titled The Science and Commercial Application of Soybean Meal in Today’s Pig Diets will feature the introduction of a new web-based financial modeling tool developed by Iowa State University in collaboration with the United Soybean Board and funded by the Soy Checkoff. Bart Borg, PhD, Vice President, Passel Farms, and David Rosero, PhD, Assistant Professor, Iowa State University, will demonstrate how the Feed-4-Profit model integrates diet formulation, predicted growth performance and future pricing for feed ingredients and pigs to help users evaluate profitability scenarios. “This financial modeling tool can help swine nutritionists go beyond the formulation desk – it’s an all-inclusive, integrated web-based digital model tha https://www.farms.com/news/upcoming-asas-midwest-section-meeting-introduces-new-economic-tool-during-u-s-soy-application-symposium-239264.aspx NEWS_239264 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:17:08 GMT Consumer demand for pork across North America is gaining momentum, supported in part by pork’s competitive pricing compared to other proteins, according to new insights from Farm Credit Canada. https://www.farms.com/news/lower-pork-price-inflation-driving-consumer-demand-in-north-america-fcc-outlook-239263.aspx NEWS_239263 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:08:50 GMT Information sharing ranks as one of the Swine Health Information Center’s key priorities. Using a variety of mediums and methods, SHIC disseminates swine disease news, research results, disease monitoring information, and more https://www.farms.com/news/shic-tapped-to-provide-animal-health-updates-on-who-radio-239262.aspx NEWS_239262 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:07:40 GMT A recent study, funded by the Swine Health Information Center and led by Drs. Cesar Corzo and Marcello Melini at the University of Minnesota, explored the use of tongue tip samples as a viable option for effective disease diagnosis in growing pigs. https://www.farms.com/news/shic-funded-project-leads-to-work-on-cardiac-puncture-for-blood-sample-collection-239261.aspx NEWS_239261 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:06:46 GMT In an?article published by?National Hog Farmer?on February 3, 2026, Dr. Michele Moncrief, a post-doctoral research associate with the Swine Medicine Education Center at Iowa State University, detailed a recently completed study on https://www.farms.com/news/telehealth-biosecurity-analysis-powered-by-shic-outbreak-program-239260.aspx NEWS_239260 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:04:55 GMT A Swine Health Information?Center-funded?study aimed to improve detection of common and emerging swine pathogens using a next generation sequencing panel. Led by Dr. Rebecca Wilkes at Purdue University, https://www.farms.com/news/shic-funds-development-of-a-targeted-next-generation-sequencing-panel-239259.aspx NEWS_239259 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:03:54 GMT With food prices continuing to put pressure on household budgets, Canadian consumers are increasingly looking for ways to make their grocery dollars go further. At the same time, there is growing interest in understanding how food is produced and how innovation in agriculture plays a role in keeping food available and affordable. https://www.farms.com/news/helping-canadian-consumers-stretch-their-food-dollar-239257.aspx NEWS_239257 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:48:35 GMT FORMYL™ is a cutting-edge feed additive designed to enhance the health and productivity of swine. Our proprietary blend of encapsulated calcium formate and citric acid ensures optimal delivery and efficacy. https://www.farms.com/news/advanced-solution-for-swine-health-239253.aspx NEWS_239253 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:55:54 GMT Although we can’t change the past, we can learn from it, says National Pork Board CEO David Newman. “We are in a transformational t https://www.farms.com/news/pork-leaders-chart-a-path-for-market-expansion-and-swine-health-239252.aspx NEWS_239252 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:54:32 GMT The National Pork Producers Council elected new officers and board members to lead the organization through the 2026-2027 term. These experienced leaders will guide NPPC’s advocacy efforts, advancing policies that support the growth, sustainability, and long-term resilience of the U.S. pork industry. https://www.farms.com/news/new-pork-producer-leadership-to-shape-national-advocacy-efforts-239251.aspx NEWS_239251 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:52:45 GMT A Senior Economist with Farm Credit Canada says lower price inflation for pork compared to the other proteins is a key factor fueling increased consumer demand for pork in North America. https://www.farms.com/news/lower-price-inflation-fuels-increased-consumer-demand-for-pork-239250.aspx NEWS_239250 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:46:42 GMT