Ottawa, ON — As Canada approaches the final round of Mercosur trade negotiations, Canada’s beef producers are sending a clear and united message to the federal government: do not sacrifice Canadian beef in a rushed trade deal.
Read MoreRecognizing that swine disease carries both a heavy economic price tag and a significant mental burden for producers, the National Pork Board (NPB) has officially launched its Swine Health Advisory Committee. The producer-led group held its inaugural meeting in Des Moines earlier this month to begin shaping the future of the National Swine Health Strategy. “The National Swine Health Strategy is informed by producers and is for producers,” says Dr. Seth Krantz, advisory committee member and NPB board member. “Producers have felt the significant mental and economic stress of swine disease for too long. The time has come for our industry to unite around the long-term mission of improving herd health. It will take daily individual actions and decisions on farms around the nation to make a measurable difference for the entire pork industry, but that is the goal.” A Strategy Built for the “Slat-Level” The producer-led committee will provide strategic input and guidance to help ensure the
Read MoreIn the past five years, the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) has transformed 115 research projects into a practical arsenal for U.S. pork producers. By leveraging Checkoff dollars and federal partnerships, SHIC’s 2021-2025 program review proves that in an unpredictable global landscape, agility is the industry’s best defense. For SHIC Executive Director Megan Niederwerder, this review is more than a retrospective; it is a strategic roadmap. It marks an expansion of data gathering and diagnostic tool development that drives actionable change on the farm. What “Moved the Needle” from 2021-2025? A standout success of the last five years is the $2.5-million Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program. Launched in 2022, this initiative funded 24 projects specifically targeting nursery and grow-finish facilities. “Typically, biosecurity protocols are less stringent outside of the sow farm or boar stud,” Niederwerder says. “We wanted to turn our focus to nursery, grow-finish and ha
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