Manitoba Pork Hosts Virtual Townhall To Address PED Outbreak

Dec 08, 2021

As of Tuesday, Manitoba Pork was reporting 21 cases of the PED virus in 2021.

Manager of Swine Health Programs Jenelle Hamblin says it's unusual to see an outbreak start this late in the year.

"It's something that we haven't seen before. It's new. Cases in Manitoba have typically started in the April-May-June timeframe is when we've seen cases start in previous outbreaks. We've seen cases in October before but they've typically been linked to other cases that had come on earlier. To start an outbreak at the end of October and lead here into December is definitely a new occurrence for us here in Manitoba and looking at these risk factors through a slightly different lens being that it's a different season, different environmental factors are at play."

The majority of the 21 cases are in the southeast part of the province.

Manitoba Pork held a virtual townhall Tuesday to update producers on the situation.

The organization is reminding producers to practice strong biosecurity.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.