Alta. biosecurity funding boosted under PED pressure

Alberta Farmer Express — As Alberta’s hog industry braces for the seemingly inevitable arrival of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED), the province has announced an early opening to a program to boost on-farm biosecurity. “Even though we do have some connections with feed now, biosecurity is still our best tool in preventing the spread of PED,” said […] Read more



PEDv arrives in Sask. on soiled boots, not yet in hogs

Saskatchewan has now officially had a close encounter of the third kind with the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) — but not in hogs. Saskatchewan’s chief veterinary officer Dr. Betty Althouse on Friday reported a confirmed “positive environmental sample” of both PEDv and transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) in a livestock trailer returning to the province from […] Read more

PEDv arrives in North Dakota

North Dakota has become the seventh U.S./Canadian border state with a case of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) in its hog herd. The lone case so far was confirmed this week on a hog farm in the eastern part of the state, North Dakota State University said Thursday. As of Sunday, before North Dakota’s confirmation, the […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Maple Leaf posts loss on production revamp costs

Reuters — Canadian food processor Maple Leaf Foods, which has been replacing production facilities and setting up a new distribution system, reported a quarterly loss that it blamed on the “tremendous” costs of the restructuring. Maple Leaf’s multi-year program to revamp meat operations to boost profits and better compete with U.S. rivals such as Tyson […] Read more

Rules now on books to enforce hog traceability for July 1

Hog farmers and handlers in Canada now officially have until July 1 to get their operations Pigtrace-compatible. Amendments to the federal Health of Animals Regulations were published Wednesday in the Canada Gazette to make traceability of farmed pigs mandatory effective July 1 this year. The same rules will also apply to farmed wild boars starting […] Read more


PEDv in Manitoba not seen linked to feed

The southeastern Manitoba hog farm confirmed Feb. 14 with porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) remains the province’s only case, as none of 45 other farms known to have had contact with the infected property have turned up any signs of the virus. But with no new Manitoba cases yet in sight, provincial officials now ask: How […] Read more

(Manitoba Co-operator file photo by Laura Rance)

Quebec’s first case of PEDv confirmed

A farm in Quebec’s Monteregie was confirmed Sunday as the province’s first case of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) in hogs. The provincial agriculture, food and fisheries department didn’t specify whether the affected farm was a farrowing and/or finishing operation or provide other details on its location or the number of mortalities, if any, when it […] Read more