The June/July edition of Prairie Hog Country

Jun 19, 2023

The core section of the June/July edition of Prairie Hog Country was sent to press last week, it will be in hands of Canada Post tomorrow Thursday June 8th, at which time the on line updates will also be completed.

This issue is full of latest hog news and information. Starting of course the Olymel announcement recently. In addition coverage from recent Manitoba Pork AGM, research on tailoring pig genetics, successful ongoing renovations, new chair for Alberta Pork, Prop 12, number of farmers, new CLT training and so so much more.

A reminder it’s time to get out those phones and take pictures for the annual photo contest and a chance to be included in the 2024 Prairie Hog Country Calendar. Please email your high-resolution photos to hogcountry@shaw.ca. As I say every year, please only submit photos that are a positive reflection of our hog sector. Deadline to be entered into the photo contest is July 14th

Thanks to all who filled out and submitted the annual readership survey, complete results will be released in the August edition.

Source : Swine Web

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.