U.S. pork exports rose slightly in February with gains to Mexico Japan and other key markets helping farmers capture higher export value and per-head returns.
Read MoreDr. Rebecca Robbins was installed as president of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians on March 3, 2026, during the association’s 57th Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. She succeeds Dr. Locke Karriker. Karriker is now the immediate past president. Dr. Chris Rademacher has ascended to president-elect. The newly elected vice president is Dr. Clayton Johnson.
Read MoreFor the past 20 to 30 years, PRRS has taken an incredible toll on the farmers and veterinarians striving for the best possible animal health outcomes. Efforts to control the disease and minimize animal suffering require intensive intervention, with research showing up to a 3.79x increase in antibiotic use for infected herds. And despite those best efforts, the end result can still be devastating. “PRRS has been the most frustrating thing we’ve had to deal with as veterinarians,” says Dr. Jason Hocker, partner and veterinarian at AMVC, a firm managing 161,500 sows across 11 states and 45 farms. “The virus changes and adapts and seems to always be one step ahead of us. It’s something we’ve not been able to make lot of progress on as an industry.” The emotional toll on pig caretakers The impact of PRRS extends beyond the animal and into the lives of those who care for them. “It’s not just frustrating, it’s also emotionally taxing to the vets, farmers and farm employees who have to dea
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