Alberta Pork Q1 2024 report
Alberta Pork’s report for the first quarter of 2024 is now available, including market trend data, highlights of our work and a feature story. Read the report.
Alberta Pork’s report for the first quarter of 2024 is now available, including market trend data, highlights of our work and a feature story. Read the report.
Two new representatives from the Alberta pork industry have joined Alberta Pork’s board of directors: Alastair Bratton and Sandra Spruit. Alastair is the head of production for Sunterra Farms. He previously managed farms and oversaw multiplier sites for Maple Leaf Farms, Verus Alliance and, more recently, Olymel. Alastair has served as Chair of the Red…
Alberta Pork’s 2024 semi-annual meetings took place in Grande Prairie, Red Deer, Drumheller and Lethbridge from Mar. 11 to 14, welcoming more than 250 producers, industry and government partners. Alberta Pork’s board of directors and staff would like to thank those who took the time to make the meetings a success. Stan Vanessen, Chair &…
The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) has joined the ‘Say No to a Bad Deal’ coalition. The coalition represents a united front for Canada’s pork and beef sectors to push for the renegotiation of the United Kingdom’s (U.K.) approval to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). CPC has issued a public statement…
The 52nd annual Banff Pork Seminar took place at the Banff Springs Hotel from Jan. 9 to 11, featuring a wide range of plenary session speakers, breakout session presenters, award winners, research presentations, networking and much more. From far and wide, to the heights of the Rockies, the Banff Pork Seminar continues to represent Canada’s…
Whether a producer, processor or retailer, Canadian pork value chain stakeholders constantly have their minds, and businesses, geared toward profitability. Recently, Alberta Pork took the initiative to seek support in the form of business student proposals solicited as part of the Alberta International Business Competition (AIBC), an event hosted by the University of Alberta Faculty…
June is Pork Month! Alberta Pork has partnered with Freson Bros., Sunterra Market and Federated Co-op to build excitement and raise awareness of the pork industry, which supports food security, jobs and culinary excellence in so many communities across the province. We want to inspire home cooks, backyard BBQers and meat enthusiasts, while honouring those…
Overview Alberta Pork’s semi-annual meetings are a chance for all registered producers and industry partners to gather for an afternoon of conversation, to receive information about our work, and to provide input on what we do and how we can help you succeed. Alberta Pork’s 2023 semi-annual meetings will take place in four locations across…
The Alberta Pork Q4 2022 report is now available. Quarterly reports are being published as part of Alberta Pork’s ongoing business planning and reporting process. This quarter’s report includes updates on: Market Trends Quality Assurance Environmental Footprint Traceability Wild Boar Media Producer Support
Alberta Pork welcomes Steven Waldner and Marcel Rupert to the board of directors, following the nomination process that began in December 2022 and finished on January 20, 2023. Our sincere appreciation to director Martin Waldner for his dedication and contributions over his two terms of service, which will end after our upcoming semi-annual meetings. Two…
Alberta Pork’s 53rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place on Thurs., Nov. 24, 2022 at the Calgary Airport Marriott In-Terminal Hotel. The business meeting was held in the morning from 10 a.m. to noon, followed by presentations in the afternoon by relevant experts. Check out Alberta Pork’s 2022 annual report and see the presentations from our…
The 23rd Red Deer Swine Technology Workshop took place on Wed., Oct. 19, 2022. The theme of this year’s event was, ‘Maximizing Marginal Gains.’ Presentation slide decks and presenter bios are now available online. Thank you to everyone who was able to attend, exhibit at or sponsor this event! For more information, please contact Charlotte…
Western Canadian hog producers can now apply for up to $1 million, with the first $250,000 interest-free, through the Advance Payments Program. The program is designed to help producers meet short-term financial obligations and covers those who own weaned piglets, feeder pigs, market hogs and breeding stock (gilts, sows and boars). Pigs already sent to…
Last week, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) announced an investment of up to $45.3 million to enhance efforts to prevent African Swine Fever (ASF) from entering Canada and prepare for a potential outbreak. Brent Moen, Chair, Alberta Pork applauds Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister, AAFC on her commitment to our sector and Alberta’s hog farmers. “While ASF…
Alberta Pork’s board of directors, staff and producers regret to announce the loss of pork industry legend, Bruce Campbell, who passed away on Tues., May 17, aged 85-years-old. Our sincere condolences to Campbell’s loved ones and former colleagues. Campbell grew up on a farm near Chater, Manitoba and graduated from the University of Manitoba, in…
Overview Earlier this month, Alberta Pork recommended hog producers advocate for Bill C-234, an Act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act. The proposed amendment would “expand the definition of eligible farming machinery and extend the exemption to include natural gas and propane for specific uses.” Last week, on Wed., May 18, the bill…
Alberta Pork’s board of directors, staff and producers regret to announce that long-time pork industry titan, Bernie Peet, passed away unexpectedly on Wed., Apr. 20, aged 72-years-old. Our sincere condolences to Peet’s loved ones and former colleagues. Peet studied agriculture at Reading University, in Berkshire, U.K., from where he graduated, in 1974. After graduation, he…
The current humanitarian crisis in Ukraine has deeply touched everyone. As we all look for an end to this meaningless conflict, the violence and population displacement has created a tremendous need for international support. In solidarity with those affected by the situation, Alberta Pork’s board of directors has chosen to make a $10,000 financial contribution…
Overview Alberta Pork is pleased to announce a new partnership with Food Banks Alberta. Last week, Alberta’s hog farmers donated five pallets of vacuum-packed fresh pork tenderloin, representing more than 5,000 tenderloins or enough for 15,000 meal portions. “We are beyond grateful for our new partnership with Alberta Pork,” says Arianna Scott, CEO, Food Banks…
With global livestock feed supply already strained for several significant reasons, fuelling high prices, another possible disruption has been added to the list: a potential worker strike for Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway, which may begin as early as Friday, March 11. CP is a major transporter of grain in western Canada and has played a…
This week, a Russian military campaign was launched in Ukraine, turning heads around the world. Commodity markets, too, noticed and responded. As the situation constantly evolves, over the coming days and weeks, producers are urged to pay attention to their costs, which could be on the rise as supplies tighten in feed and energy markets.…
The Alberta Pork Board of Directors welcomes its latest members, Stan Vanessen and Dan Majeau. Our board of directors helps guide the future direction of our organization while performing important work on behalf of fellow producers and the entire industry. Stan and Dan will begin their upcoming three-year terms in March 2022. Stan is a…
From new vaccine mandates for truck drivers crossing the Canada-U.S. border, to rail cars and cargo ships delayed by the B.C. flood recovery, to COVID-19 labour shortages, supply chain challenges in the agri-food sector have dominated news headlines in recent months. Combined with increasing inflation, cost of production for Alberta’s hog farmers is sharply on…
Alberta Pork’s board of directors, staff and producers are saddened to acknowledge the passing of long-time pork industry researcher and advocate, Dr. George Foxcroft, who left us suddenly on Mon., Dec. 6. Our sincere condolences to Foxcroft’s loved ones and colleagues. Foxcroft earned a Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences and a PhD in Reproductive Physiology from…
The 22nd Red Deer Swine Technology Workshop returns virtually, free-of-charge, for two afternoons, on Wednesday, October 20 and Thursday, October 21, 2021, following a one-year hiatus. The 2021 edition of the event will take place via Zoom. Topics this year will range from profitability and feed ingredients to reproductive efficiency and sow mortality. The Red…
Over the past year, there has been a marked rise in feed costs. Various strategies to address managing feed costs are currently being explored. This article is the fourth in a series that began earlier this month. Check your inbox for the emails sent on Friday, September 3, Tuesday, September 7 and Monday, September 20…
The latest Canadian federal election took place on Monday, September 20. Prior to the election, Alberta Pork provided information on candidates in the constituencies where Alberta’s commercial hog farmers are most highly concentrated, in addition to policy proposals that could impact their operations. See below a full list of results for those constituencies, in order…
Over the past year, there has been a marked rise in feed costs. Various strategies to address managing feed costs are currently being explored. This article is the third in a series that began earlier this month. In the previous articles, Alberta Pork highlighted some of the strategies that may be employed to curb feed…
The next Canadian federal election takes place on Monday, September 20. Alberta Pork has provided information on candidates in the constituencies where Alberta’s commercial hog farmers are most highly concentrated. The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) has also published a list of election priorities for Canadian pork producers, and the Canadian Meat Council (CMC) has published…
Over the past year, there has been a marked rise in feed costs. With feed costs representing around 62 per cent of the total cost of production (based on Alberta Pork’s 2020 Cost of Production study results), ‘business as usual’ is likely not the best way to look at things. Changes to diets, revisions to…
The next Canadian federal election takes place on Monday, September 20. Below is a full list of candidates in the constituencies where Alberta’s commercial hog farmers are most highly concentrated. The lists are ordered by most-to-least commercial hog farmer concentration per constituency, then alphabetically by each candidate’s surname. For candidates without biographies, those may be…
The next Canadian federal election takes place on Monday, September 20. As we gather information on candidates and party platforms, find below some context related to how Alberta’s registered pork producers fit within the bigger picture. Currently, Alberta counts a total of 893 registered pork producers – independent producers, producer groups, Hutterite colonies and hobby…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed on July 28 that African Swine Fever (ASF) was detected in samples collected from pigs in the Dominican Republic, through an existing cooperative surveillance program. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has since affirmed its support for the Dominican Republic’s efforts to manage the issue. To date, no…
If Alberta Pork’s weekly pricing report looks different to you this week – it is! Alberta Pork has partnered with Gowans Feed Consulting to offer a new feed cost modelling tool for producers, updated monthly. In addition, the tool will be offered with commentary on feed price trends, comparing the change in market prices of…
Are you hauling hogs in the coming days? Forecasts across the province predict temperatures reaching above 30-degrees Celsius and even upwards of 40-degrees Celsius. Unlike humans, pigs are not able to regulate their body temperature by sweating. If you are hauling hogs, check out our Hauling Hogs in Extreme Heat fact sheet to learn what…
During Alberta Pork’s annual general meeting (AGM) in November 2020, a resolution was passed to explore “a single-desk selling system, similar to Quebec,” and during Alberta Pork’s semi-annual meeting in March 2021, one producer asked whether the Quebec pig pricing model was well understood, and whether other producers knew how the price was calculated. In…
During Alberta Pork’s annual general meeting (AGM) in November 2020, a resolution was passed to explore “a single-desk selling system, similar to Quebec,” and during Alberta Pork’s semi-annual meeting in March 2021, one producer asked whether the Quebec pig pricing model was well understood, and whether other producers knew how the price was calculated. Coming…
The Alberta Pork Board of Directors welcomes its latest members, following an election. Ballots were counted and recorded by Alberta Pork staff on March 8, 2021, with oversight from the Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council. Four Director-at-Large positions were available this year, for which five nominations were received. All registered producers were eligible to vote…
On Friday, March 5, the Government of Alberta announced that Alberta hog farmers are now eligible to receive funding through a $4-million initiative under the federal-provincial AgriRecovery program, delivered in Alberta by the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC). The support comes following more than three weeks of hog production backlogs created by the unfortunate COVID-19…
On Monday, February 15, Olymel announced a temporary but indefinite suspension of operations at its Red Deer pork processing facility due to COVID-19 related issues in the community. Many of Alberta’s commercial hog farmers ship to this facility on a weekly basis, and the plant shutdown has since prompted producers to deploy contingency plans and…
Earlier this week, six commercial hog farmers in Alberta submitted a united request to Alberta Pork, presenting three critical questions regarding the organization’s work and position on hog pricing. The group met virtually with Alberta Pork board directors and staff to advocate for reducing hog production, in response to pricing problems that producers continue to…
The annual polar vortex has descended upon the prairies, shrouding much of the landscape in a blanket of extremely cold air approaching wind chills of minus-50 degrees Celsius in some cases. Just the thought of those temperatures is enough to chill any person – or animal – to the bone. In Alberta, hog farmers produce…
Alberta Pork’s 2019 Cost of Production Study final report is now available, highlighting the struggles that many producers are facing to sustain their businesses and support the Canadian pork value chain. Last year, Alberta hog farmers were invited to volunteer cost and revenue data to help create a benchmark for farm profitability. Based on the…
Overview Feed costs make up about 60 per cent of the total cost of hog production. Therefore, movements in feed prices could determine which side of the profit ledger a farm operates on. As the industry inches toward more equitable value sharing, should there be more consideration for feed costs? Feed prices on the rise…
Overview For the past five years, the western Canadian hog price has fluctuated erratically. The seemingly age-old problem of hog price volatility has become worse in a context of ever-increasing costs of production and, more recently, with the economic effects of COVID-19. Within the past year, Olymel, the largest hog buyer and pork processor in…
Alberta Pork’s 51st annual general meeting (AGM) was hosted virtually on Nov. 26, 2020. In attendance were more than 100 participants – mostly registered Alberta hog farmers. During the meeting, a resolution was put forth to explore the possibility of a single-desk hog marketing system for Alberta – similar to the arrangement in Quebec, where producers…
As pandemic fatigue begins to set in, one of the Canadian pork industry’s biggest threats is COVID-19 compliance complacency – failing to do the right things when we know better. Be strong, do your part and tell others: Because it is important for you, your family, your workers, your farm, the entire industry and Canadian…
Alberta Pork has been notified about a confirmed case of H1N2v influenza discovered in Alberta. H1N2v influenza is an infectious respiratory disease caused by type A influenza viruses. It is commonly found in populations of livestock around the world. As noted by Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health, this animal virus is…
From low pig pricing to COVID-19 impacts, and from rising farm costs to less opportunity for farm businesses to thrive, Alberta hog producers today are in a very tight spot. As time goes on and profitability continues to decline, some producers are reducing production or exiting the industry altogether. Despite these challenges, it is as…
All business relationships contain a balance of power. In the Alberta hog industry, over time, the power has swung from an equitable place for both producers and packers, to favouring packers and retailers. Between 1969 and 1996, Alberta Pork acted as the single-desk seller for hogs in the province. In those days, there were nearly…
Alberta Pork’s 51st annual general meeting (AGM) will take place for all registered producers and industry partners during the afternoon of Thurs., Nov. 26. Please save this date in your calendar if you plan on attending. COVID-19 has impacted our lives and industry greatly, including placing restrictions on in-person gatherings. This year, Alberta Pork’s board…
Historical ups and downs in the hog marketplace have come to be expected. However, since last year, and more dramatically this year, low pig prices are sending a signal to Alberta’s pork producers that they should reduce barn inventory to minimize financial damage to their businesses. In the past few months, with increasing frequency, producers…
Confusion surrounding hog pricing formulas has somewhat hindered producer understanding of contracts for a long time. By breaking out the components of the formulas, it is possible to observe some of the drivers behind the different formulas and thereby provide clarity. Canada prices pigs using U.S. data Historically, the U.S. has been Canada’s primary market…
In mid-May, B.C. Pork, Alberta Pork, Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork issued a joint invitation to executives from Maple Leaf Foods, Olymel and Donald’s Fine Foods to discuss the state of the western Canadian pork industry, and to work for solutions that generate shared value for producers and processors. Our request was to meet before…
Every year, the Red Deer Swine Technology Workshop attracts more than 150 pork producers and farm employees to attend presentations and networking sessions with industry partners. Swine Tech 2020—what would have been the workshop’s 25th installment—was originally scheduled to take place in late October. Due to the uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic and provincial health…
Alberta Pork has launched a new economics web section designed to support producer success by providing the necessary tools for effective financial decision-making. The new section includes pork market and hog supply reports, contract pricing breakdowns, information on our cost of production study and the latest economic research. In the coming weeks, Alberta Pork, in…
The Alberta Pork Board of Directors welcomes its latest members, following an election for two available Director-at-Large positions. On Mar. 16, a representative from the Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council visited Alberta Pork’s office in Edmonton to witness the unsealing of the ballot envelopes and boxes, and to verify the count performed by Alberta Pork…
As of this article’s publication, nearly 45,000 cases of the recently named COVID-19 novel coronavirus have resulted in more than 1,100 deaths worldwide since first reported in China on January 27, 2020. Almost immediately, comparisons were made with the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak that also started in China in 2002 and ended up…
A sample collected by Alberta’s swine disease surveillance program has tested weak environmental positive for porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus. The sample was taken from a location in Alberta and analyzed at Alberta Agriculture and Forestry’s laboratory on January 22, 2020. Alberta Pork is working closely with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry to mitigate any risks…
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) Health of Animals Regulations will change next month, following several years of consultation with industry. The changes, affecting animal transporters, were first announced in February 2019 and will officially come into force on February 20, 2020. The new requirements have been introduced and take an outcome-based approach to ensure…
Are you or your workers headed overseas? Especially with Christmas approaching, increased international travel poses a risk for transmitting serious and foreign animal diseases to Canadian pig herds. For those who visit farms while overseas, extra precautions must be taken, which is why Alberta Pork has developed a biosecurity protocol for international travel. Whether or…
New small producer handbook for reference Alberta Pork has just launched a new resource: our small-scale producer handbook. This handbook serves as a useful reference guide for best practices related to your production. The handbook can also be found on our Small-Scale Production webpage, which includes additional information. For questions about pork production, please contact…
Alberta Pork’s 50th annual general meeting (AGM) and anniversary banquet took place on November 21, 2019 in Calgary, featuring more than 200 guests for the all-day event. Coming together for the betterment of the entire pork industry was a major theme that took shape throughout the day. “We need to have a unified front if…
Alberta Pork is pleased to announce the arrival of Bijon Brown as our new Production Economist. Bijon has joined the team to focus on taking a closer look at cost of production, by collecting information from producers, aggregating the data and comparing it to pricing reports to better understand pork cost margins in Alberta. In…
The 24th Red Deer Swine Technology Workshop took place on October 23, 2019 at Westerner Park in Red Deer. More than 150 guests—primarily producers and their barn workers—attended eight presentations and networked with more than a dozen exhibitors. “Every year, Swine Tech includes premier speakers covering a wide variety of topics relevant to pork production,”…
Overview The latest Canadian federal election took place on October 21, 2019. The overall result was a Liberal victory with 156 of 338 total seats in Parliament, forming a minority government. Leading up to the election, Alberta Pork covered international trade markets, business risk management, African Swine Fever preparedness, general agriculture policy, constituency characteristics and…
Overview The next Canadian federal election will take place on Monday, October 21, 2019. For producers, the next election is an opportunity for the interests of agriculture to reinforced by voting for your local candidate with the strongest background and most favourable policy positions in this area. Approaching the upcoming election, Alberta Pork has previously…
Overview The next Canadian federal election will take place on Monday, October 21, 2019. With each election cycle comes the possibility of new representatives. Taken together, all strictly urban constituencies in Calgary and Edmonton (excluding Edmonton-Wetaskiwin) comprise 17 of the province’s 34 federal constituencies. Some constituencies overlap sizeable urban areas but are large enough to…
Overview The next Canadian federal election will take place on Monday, October 21, 2019. For producers, the next election is an opportunity for the interests of agriculture to reinforced by voting for your local candidate with the strongest background and most favourable policy positions in this area. Approaching the upcoming election, Alberta Pork has previously…
Overview The next Canadian federal election will take place on Monday, October 21, 2019. For producers, the next election is an opportunity for the interests of agriculture to reinforced by voting for your local candidate with the strongest background and most favourable policy positions in this area. Approaching the upcoming election, Alberta Pork has previously…
Overview The next Canadian federal election will take place on Monday, October 21, 2019. For producers, the next election is an opportunity for the interests of agriculture to reinforced by voting for a candidate with the strongest background and most favourable policy positions. One issue that pork producers will be keeping their eye on is…
The next Canadian federal election will take place on Monday, October 21, 2019. With each election cycle comes the possibility of new Members of Parliament (MPs), new Ministers and a new Prime Minister. Electoral boundaries, which change every 10 years on the federal level, were last changed in 2012, in time for the 2015 federal…
An Alberta pork producer is taking a large environmentally sustainable leap, thanks to a new heat recovery unit that will help improve operational profitability and self-reliance. The new unit adds to the producer’s existing suite of carbon-neutralizing tools, which includes conservation cropping to earn “tillage credits.” Cogeneration, or combined heat and power (CHP), is the…
If you are a producer applying for financing for your confined feeding operation, the age of your facility may affect the time it takes to get your financing application processed. Canada’s Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB) is reminding producers to beware financial application processing delays if those producers began operating prior to the introduction of…
Alberta Open Farm Days is about farmers and ranchers inviting their urban and rural neighbors to stop in for a visit to share stories, see demonstrations, and learn more about the farmers who grow their food. Now in its seventh year, Alberta Open Farm Days returns on August 17-18, 2019 as an important ag-tourism event…
The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity’s (CCFI) 2018 Public Trust Research report tracked consumer behaviours, identifying beliefs, values, fears and motivations using an innovative approach called digital ethnography, which is the adaptation of traditional ethnographic study methods to online media. This approach led to the identification of five consumer archetypes and their prevalence in Canadian…
Since the beginning of time, humans have faced security challenges related to protecting themselves, their families and their property. Be it security against other humans, animals or the environment, each problem is mirrored by an opportunity to proactively prevent threats. The hog industry is no stranger to this phenomenon. For us, one of the subtler…
Alberta Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Devin Dreeshen, hosted a BBQ on the Alberta Legislature grounds in Edmonton on July 3 to show support for sectors affected by China’s trade barriers for our products, including pork, beef and canola. Members of Alberta Pork’s Board of Directors and staff were on-hand for the event, along with…
Alberta Pork and Alberta Agriculture and Forestry hosted a town hall teleconference on May 14 for over 70 producers and industry partners, related to ongoing investigation of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) in our province, including progress to date. Alberta Pork continues to work closely with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry to prevent the disease from spreading…
In support of the High School Culinary Challenge (HSCC), Hot Chefs Cool Beats—a unique celebration of local food, drink and art—attracted a lot of attention to the Mosaic Centre in south Edmonton on April 25. The HSCC is an annual competition for Edmonton-and-area high school culinary students—the up-and-coming faces of the local food scene. The…
When selling pigs to your neighbours or people you meet online, do you know who they are or where they are taking the animals? If the answer is no, then neither do we. In order to properly respond to a disease outbreak, investigators need to know who and what sites are involved. Which sites are…
The latest Alberta provincial election took place on April 16, 2019. The overall result was a United Conservative Party victory with 63 of 87 total seats in the Legislative Assembly, forming a majority government. Leading up to the election, Alberta Pork covered electoral boundary changes, constituency characteristics, issues and candidates. What do the results mean…
The next Alberta provincial election will take place on Tuesday, April 16, 2019. With each election cycle comes the possibility of new representatives and electoral boundary changes. Which candidate in your constituency best represents the interest of agriculture? Learn more about the election issues. Taken together, all constituencies in Calgary (including Airdrie-East) and Edmonton (including…
The next Alberta provincial election will take place on Tuesday, April 16, 2019. For producers, the next election is an opportunity for the interests of agriculture to reinforced by voting for your local candidate with the strongest background and most favourable policy positions in this area. Alberta Pork has previously covered electoral boundary changes and…
The next Alberta provincial election will take place on Tuesday, April 16, 2019. With each election cycle comes the possibility of new Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), new Ministers and a new Premier, along with electoral boundary changes. Since 2015, the Honourable Oneil Carlier, MLA for Whitecourt-Lac Ste. Anne, has served as the Minister of…
Alberta Pork and Alberta Agriculture and Forestry hosted a town hall teleconference on March 13 for over 150 producers and industry partners, related to the discovery and investigation of the porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus in our province this year. Alberta Pork continues to work closely with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry to prevent the disease…
Starting March 1, 2019, Alberta drivers seeking a Class 1 (tractor trailer) licence are required to complete Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) to apply for their licence. New drivers working in agriculture now have until November 30, 2019 under the existing process to earn a Class 1 licence and will have until March 1, 2020 to…
Last week, we announced a third and fourth case of the porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus, a disease that causes diarrhea and vomiting in pigs, had been discovered at separate hog operations in Alberta. Today, we are clarifying that the third case was a false positive. As of now, we can confirm three outbreaks of…
For producers certified under the existing Canadian Quality Assurance (CQA) program, a reminder that program obligations are still in place, including your annual validation renewal. If yours is approaching due, please be diligent in following up with your validator. At the Alberta Pork annual general meeting in November 2018, our producers voted to pass a…
A 600-head farrow-to-finish hog operation in Alberta has contracted the porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus, a disease that causes diarrhea and vomiting in pigs. Alberta Pork is working closely with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry to fully investigate this outbreak and prevent the disease from spreading further. This is the second-ever reported case of PED in…
The next Alberta provincial election will occur on or before May 31, 2019. With each election cycle comes the possibility of constituency boundary adjustments. The constituency in which you lived or voted in 2015—the last provincial election—may have changed for this year. By law, the total number of constituencies (87) remains the same in 2019…
Pigs can eat many things, but that does not mean they should. Alberta Pork strongly disapproves the use of any human food scraps as pig feed. By feeding scraps, it is quite possible you are breaking the law, not to mention jeopardizing the integrity of our annual $24 billion Canadian pork industry. In Canada, it…
Lunar New Year 2019—commonly referred to as Chinese New Year—begins on February 5. We are entering the Year of the Pig, the last animal in the 12-year Chinese calendar cycle. Characteristics of the pig include luck, wealth, honesty, generosity and trustworthiness. The Chinese calendar also follows a cycle of five natural elements (Wood, Fire, Earth,…
On January 8, 2019, we announced that a 400-head hog operation in Alberta had contracted the porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus. On January 15, 2019, we provided an update on testing that was taking place at pig sites across the province, including assembly yards, abattoirs and truck washes. In partnership with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry,…
The Alberta Pork Board of Directors, staff and over 700 registered producers congratulate and welcome two board directors taking their positions in 2019. Stan Vanessen of Picture Butte will begin his first term, and Hendrik Fourie of Iron Springs will begin his second term, officially commencing when a board meeting is held shortly after semi-annual…
The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity’s (CCFI) Public Trust Research has shown that millennials—individuals born in the 1980s and 1990s—are changing the way the public views food responsibility. Millennials are now the largest Canadian workforce demographic, meaning their perception of food integrity goes beyond ideological posturing: they are the marketplace for the foreseeable future. CCFI’s…
Hog disease prevalence is on the rise globally. There have been more than 100 cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) reported in China to date. To a lesser extent, the disease has moved into Poland and Belgium. ASF is being blamed for an infected pig carcass washing on shore in Taiwan, and Classical Swine Fever…
Last week, we announced that a 400-head hog operation in Alberta has contracted the porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus. Environmental surveillance performed at high-traffic pig sites in the province—including assembly yards, abattoirs and truck washes—have all tested negative for PED. The investigation into the source of this virus is ongoing. Animal trace backs have been…
A 400-head hog operation in Alberta has contracted the porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus, a disease that causes diarrhea and vomiting in pigs. Alberta Pork is working closely with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry to fully investigate this outbreak and prevent the disease from spreading further. This is the first-ever reported case of PED in Alberta.…
Access to medically important antimicrobials has changed due to new federal regulations. The responsible use of antimicrobials contributes greatly to animal welfare and public trust—a top priority for Alberta’s pork producers. While Alberta Pork supports the new requirements, our producers are concerned with continuing to easily access these products. We are surveying producers to find…
The Government of Alberta has released new technical rules governing farm and ranch occupational health and safety. In 2016, the government introduced Bills 6 and 17, now known as the Enhancement of Protection of Farm and Ranch Workers Act and the Fair and Family-friendly Workplaces Act. These acts—covering only waged, non-family farm workers—have applied OHS…
The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI) has just released its 2018 Public Trust Research. For the third year in a row, the rising cost of food tops the list of concerns for Canadians, beating out health care, energy and the economy. It has been suggested that meat prices are expected to decline for consumers…
ManureTracker is an Alberta-based manure record keeping application that will improve your farm management and move you away from those paper records. This app will help keep track of what is still left to do – be it for a new soil test for your land, finishing incorporation or completing a transfer to another farm.…
With Christmas quickly approaching, are you headed back home for the holidays? How about a vacation overseas? If “back home” or your vacation destination is in a known African Swine Fever (ASF) source country, it’s important to be mindful of what you bring back to Canada with you, to prevent the spread of ASF. It…
Hog farmers, industry partners and members of the public have a new tool to educate and inform them on the latest issues of pork production: the Alberta Pork app, now available for Apple iOS and Android devices. Both Apple and Android users can download the app by searching “Alberta Pork” using their respective device application…
Alberta Pork is pleased to announce its support for the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences’ (ALES) Work-Integrated Learning: Animal Science Mini-Internships program, taking place in February 2019. The Alberta Pork board of directors has approved a $25,000 endowment donation to the program, which takes place twice annually to provide students…
An abundance of supply in over-saturated markets has producers feeling the pinch more than ever as two-decade pricing lows have hammered away at the industry recently. As Canadian pork looks to break into markets across the Pacific and Atlantic, we must confront the growing trend toward imports of U.S. pork into our domestic market. While…
Visitors from near and far, producers and other community members, gathered near Mayerthorpe on October 12 for a barn opening. The $1.8 million state-of-the-art facility will feature an over-4,000-head contract finishing operation, shipping three full cycles annually to the Olymel processing plant in Red Deer. Operating the barn will be Pigs R Us Inc., owned…
Personnel and visitors Alberta Pork wants to help you stay biosecure—it’s our top priority. We must do everything we can to prevent disease from entering Alberta producers’ barns, which is why we perform biosecurity assessments for all producers free-of-charge. Did you know that viruses can survive on clothing for quite a long time—long enough to…
Biosecurity assessments Alberta Pork wants to help you stay biosecure—it’s our top priority. We must do everything we can to prevent disease from entering Alberta producers’ barns, which is why we perform biosecurity assessments for all producers free-of-charge. Likewise, it’s incumbent upon you, as a producer, to take all necessary measures to protect your herd.…
On September 19, a town hall teleconference was held in collaboration with Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network (CWSHIN), Alberta Pork, Saskatchewan Pork and Manitoba Pork, highlighting how CWSHIN is acting to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) and share critical information with those who need it. This was a successful meeting involving…
As pork prices continue their downward trend toward $100 per pig—well below break-even for producers—it is not an overstatement to say we are facing significant financial pressure. The situation has much to do with trade disputes between the U.S., China and Mexico, but the lack of response in Canada to support our producers is concerning.…
The latest hog pricing data shows that producers are now facing large net losses on their herds. While that is no surprise to those who make their living raising and selling pigs, it is eye-opening for the average pork consumer. “We have heard from some producers that they are in the process of shutting down,…
People are at the heart of every organization. Alberta Pork is proud to offer its producers resources and support in partnership with the Canadian Agricultural Human Resources Council (CAHRC). The Alberta Pork 2018 Labour Project includes the development of an HR toolkit, the introduction of e-learning resources, and the launch of informational webinars. The first…
While the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) can help Canadian pork producers and their staff, employers who rely on the program report many frustrations. Farmers often find a drawn-out application process. In fact, applicants can wait six to eight months before they can hire for the role. “Without the foreign worker program, we would be…
From the Western Producer, July 26, 2018: No ad-hoc farm aid if trade goes awry Current farm safety nets will have to be enough if an escalating trade war hurts farmers financially, say Canada’s agriculture ministers. “If there are problems, I’m not going to speculate on what problems there might be, the agricultural sector in…
Alberta’s farmers have illustrated their continued commitment to farm safety by working with the Government of Alberta (GOA) to provide grassroots feedback on the new occupational health and safety (OHS) regulations proposed in the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act. The AgCoalition, which Alberta Pork belongs to, represents 97 per cent of farmers…
A recent investigation by Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has associated E. coli O157:H7 with some pork products. To view the most up to date list of recalled products, please visit this link. Alberta Pork, along with all the members of the value chain, recognize food safety and public…
WESTERN CANADA: The Chair of the Canada-West Swine Health Intelligence Network (CWSHIN) and Executive Director of Alberta Pork, Darcy Fitzgerald, is pleased to announce that Dr. Jette Christensen, DVM, PhD, has accepted the position of manager for the organization, taking over the helm from Dr. Chris Byra, who is retiring at the end of April.…
Youth involved in household chores, or other activities such as 4-H, are not considered employees. Therefore, Employment Standards do not apply. The following rules on youth employment are effective May 1, 2018. Regardless of age, all employees under 18 years of age are entitled to the minimum standards of employment, such as general holidays, vacations, minimum…
Unpaid, job-protected leave. Employees are eligible for most unpaid leaves after 90 days of employment. The following outlines the maximum length for each unpaid job-protected leave available to employees in Alberta: Maternity leave: 16…
Due to the unique nature of the agriculture industry, there remains no limitation to the work hours of work for farm and ranch operations, and producers are not required to pay overtime to their employees. Producers aren’t required to provided breaks during daily shifts, but employers are encouraged to provide appropriate rest to help workers…
The Government of Alberta has committed to many changes in employment standards for farm and ranch workers. Alberta Pork recognizes that there is a lot of confusion surrounding these changes, and there may be some issues with the new standards going forward; however, we will work through this change and continue to seek safety on…
Dan Trottier from AgSafe Alberta joined producers today to hold a Farm Safety Workshop for producers in Strathmore. This workshop covered topics including Farm Safety Management Systems, Confined Space Awareness, H2S Awareness, and Emergency Response Planning. Twenty-five Alberta Pork producers attended Dan’s workshop. Dan Trottier is passionate about safety, and he wants to bring his…
Training in Low Stress Animal Handling enables handlers to move pigs in a safe, effective manner that meets the safety and welfare needs of the animals they are moving by using video as both a teaching and learning tool. By understanding that pigs respond to handlers’ action in predictable manners, producers are trained to identify…
October 19, 2017, OTTAWA – It is with much interest that the Canadian Pork Council (CPC) has followed the developments surrounding the tax changes proposed by the Department of Finance Canada since the end of the consultation period on October 5, 2017, as it relates to tax planning using private corporations. Although specific details…
October 5 Town Hall Recap It has been four years since the first outbreak of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) in North America. Strong practices in on-site biosecurity and surveillance systems have prevented this disease from sweeping across the entire country. Continued cooperation between all involved in the hog industry will be vital for continued success.…
Town Hall Recap for August 10 There has only been one new PEDv positive farm since the last Town Hall on July 19th. PEDv has not been eliminated, but Biosecurity protocols have been working to prevent a massive spread of PEDv across the western provinces. Dr. Glen Duizer noted today that this single instance of disease spread in the past few…
Dr. Glen Duizer from the Chief Veterinarian’s office of Manitoba Agriculture joined us Wednesday to discuss the recent spread of PEDv in Manitoba. Thank you Dr. Duizer for sharing your knowledge. Thank you as well to everyone that could tune in to hear them speak. His presentation was filled with excellent information, but we’ve put together…
The AgCoalition is expressing concern over the Government of Alberta’s process in introducing the Fair and Family-friendly Workplaces Act (Bill 17). Introduced on May 24 and passed earlier [Tuesday], Bill 17 has the potential to seriously disrupt the agriculture sector’s unique culture of cooperation and family-style relationships between employees and employers. Bill 17 includes a…
From Robert Arnason – The Western Producer For years, Canada pursued and successfully completed a free trade deal with Europe. Now, after decades of complaints about interprovincial barriers, the federal government and provinces have agreed upon a new deal for internal trade. On Friday morning, the governments unveiled what is being called the Canadian Free…