Canadian hog farmers take precautions against PED viru

Jun 07, 2013

Canadian hog farmers take precautions against PED virus

Canadian pork producers are gathering information about how best to keep the U.S. outbreak of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) virus out of Canada. The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) along with the Canadian Swine Health Board (CSGB) called a national teleconference with over 115 people to obtain information on its spread in the U.S.

The PED virus has economic impacts on the hog industry due to the high mortality rate in pigs. The source of the disease and its spread is being investigated. It’s not yet known if the virus came to the U.S. from Asian or Europe. The first case was identified on May 16.

Jean-Guy Vincent, CPC President said that the industry must work together to prevent this threat. The teleconference provided an opportunity for the industry to understand the PED threat and discuss preventative measures. The teleconference included a variety of stakeholders, such as veterinarians, genetics experts, processors, animal health representatives, researchers and government officials.

Hog producers are asked to take extra vigilance when enforcing on-farm biosecurity especially ensuring trucks returning from the U.S. are disinfected properly. Canadians returning from the World Pork Expo in Des Monies, Iowa are asked to ensure they follow protocols to prevent the virus from spreading.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.