Tough Years in Pork Business Show Benefits of Benchmarking & Record-Keeping
It might be called the benchmarking bonus, delegates to the 2011 Banff Pork Seminar heard. Records from two large benchmarking and record-keeping databases of North American pork producers show that the best of those producers significantly outperformed...

Centralia Swine Research Update 2011
The 30th Centralia Swine Research Update was held at Kirkton-Woodham Community Centre in Canada on 26 January 2011.

Guelph Trial Reveals Benefits of Two-Dose PCV2 Vaccination
A two-date vaccination protocol against porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) resulted in higher average daily gains, more pork sold and more money to the producer, according to Professor Cate Dewey of the University of Guelph. Jackie Linden, Senior Editor of The...

Pig Price Cycle Moves Onward and Upward (March 2011)
By Chris Harris, Editor-in-Chief of ThePigSite. Our snapshot of the ongoing global pig industry trends as reported in March 2011 Whole Hog Brief. To read the full detailed analysis, including all the commentary and graphical data, subscribe to the pu...

Managing Social Media to Influence Public Opinion
There are big opportunities to use social media to influence public opinion, but like any other opportunity it works best if it is managed properly. That was the core message that Lilian Schaer of Agri-Food Projects Services had for a breakout session...

Research Sheds Light on Fat Digestibility in Pigs
Producers and feed companies add fat to swine diets to increase energy but recent research from the University of Illinois, conducted by Hans H. Stein, U of I professor in the Department of Animal Sciences, along with his team of researchers, suggests...

US Pork Outlook - March 2011
US beef exports for 2011 are forecast at 2.43 billion pounds while pork exports, at almost 369 million pounds, were more than 17 per cent higher than a year earlier and broiler and turkey shipments were both up from last year, according to the latest...

Feed Outlook - March 2011
World coarse grain production and beginning stocks forecast for 2010/11 are reduced this month, lowering supply 2.5 million tons, according to the latest report from the USDA Economic Research Service.

Centralia Swine Research Update - A Look Back
The Canadian swine industry has experienced dramatic changes in the past few decades Bob Friendship, Professor at the Department of Population Medicine in the University of Guelph told the 30th Centralia Swine Research Update.

World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates - March 2011
The forecasts for red meat and poultry production and prices in 2011 have been raised from a month ago, according to the latest USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates.

Raporal Makes Tastier Pork
Every day, four trucks leave from the Raporal factory, on the outskirts of Montijo in Portugal to the warehouses of Jerónimo Martins (JM).

Canada's Farm Income Forecast for 2010 and 2011
2011 preliminary forecasts indicate a decline in farm income as increased crop and livestock receipts get offset by higher expenses and reduced programme payments, according to the latest forecast from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Australian and Canadian Pork Industries Compared
In the details, there are differences between the Australian and Canadian pig industries, writes Jaydee Smith, Production Systems Program leader for the Ontario agriculture ministry in the latest issue of Pork News and Views from OMAFRA, based...

Advantages of Covered Creep Areas
There are a number of advantages of covering creep areas, some of which are highlighted in Knowledge Transfer Bulletin No. 11 from BPEX.

Chef's Key Strategies to Capture Consumer Mind-Set
Brad Smoliak gave delegates to the 2011 Banff Pork Seminar a taste of his energetic, fun and passionate outlook, and what the industry can do to capture the consumer mind-set in a presentation entitled 'Getting Pork on the Consumer's Plate'.

One Virus Gene May Explain Poor PRRS Vaccine Efficacy
The highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome viruses (PRRSV) in the field in China were revealed to be distantly related to vaccine strains in work at Lanzhou, which may explain the poor protection offered by some vaccines.

France Predicts Fewer Pig Holdings This Spring
"There will be 10 to 15 per cent fewer pig holdings in France by the end of March," predicts the president of the French pig producers' federation the Fédération Nationale Porcine (FNP), Jean-Michel Serres, reports Peter Crosskey.

US Farm Economy in 2011: What's in Store?
Prospects for the US farm economy appear bright, but a sharp rise in crop prices has created some anxiety Dr Joseph W. Glauber, Chief Economist of the US Department of Agriculture told the 2011 Agricultural Outlook Forum, writes Rachel Ralte, Junior Editor...

Gilt and First Litter Sow Management
Tips on housing and feeding young sows for a long productive life from Ed Barrie, Sow Weaner Pig Specialist with the Ontario ministry of agriculture in the latest issue of Pork News and Views from OMAFRA.

Iowa State University - Animal Industry Report 2011
The Annual Industry Report 2011 from Iowa State University includes a range of reports on swine.

Strategies to Reduce Swine Feeding Costs in 2011
Rommel Sulabo, University of Illinois postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Animal Sciences, shared five ways producers can reduce costs and increase profits at the Illinois Pork Expo in Springfield earlier this month.

Mastitis, Metritis, Agalactia (MMA)
Mastitis, metritis and agalactia, commonly referred to as MMA, is a complex syndrome seen in sows shortly (12 hours to three days) after farrowing. The clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment and control of MMA are described in Knowledge Transfer Bulletin...

Checklist of Value-Added Opportunities for Pork Products
Value-added strategies of leading retail, food service and meat industry entities will dominate the animal protein market for years to come. With a shift from a commodity driven market to a consumer driven one, it will become more important to understand...