Cull Program Applications to be Available Monday
CANADA - Applications for the federal government's 50 million dollar Cull Breeding Swine Program will be made available beginning Monday, writes Bruce Cochrane.

Early Access to AgriStability TAP
MANITOBA - The provinces beleaguered hog farmers will be offered early access to their expected AgriStability payout for 2008, under a Targeted Advance Payment (TAP) program that was announced by Manitoba's government yesterday.

Manitoba Pork Council Calls on Ottawa to Challenge M-COOL Under NAFTA
CANADA - Manitoba Pork Council reports Canadian weanling pig producers are beginning to feel the impact of pending U.S. Mandatory Country of Origin Labelling legislation, writes Bruce Cochrane.

Futures Markets Suggest Higher Hog Prices By Summer
CANADA - The Saskatchewan Pork Development Board reports the current futures markets suggest western Canadian hog prices could start to see a rebound by early 2009, writes Bruce Cochrane.

Strategy Session Planned to Fight Hog Ban
CANADA - Manitoba’s pork producers are demanding the provincial government accept the science and reverse its decision to impose permanent moratoriums on the development of new or expanded hog barns in three regions of the province.

Sask Pork Calls for End to Support Caps
CANADA - The Saskatchewan Pork Development Board is calling on government to remove the caps on agricultural support programs designed to help livestock producers contend with the economic crisis currently affecting their industry.

Manitoba Minister Calls for Cooperation Over Nutrient Loading Concerns
CANADA - Manitoba's minister of agriculture is encouraging stakeholders to work together as the province takes action to reduce the amount of nutrients ending up in Lake Winnipeg, writes Bruce Cochrane.

Minister Ritz at New Brunswick Agriculture Summit
CANADA - The Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, will co-chair the New Brunswick Agriculture Summit today.

Government Policy Blamed for Pork Farms Bankruptcy
SASKATCHEWAN- A flawed federal farm support program is being blamed for the bankruptcy of Saskatchewan's second-largest pig producer Stomp Farms Ltd. The Leroy-based business employs 250 people and has been losing money since late last summer.

Summit Called to Discuss Manitoba Moratorium
CANADA - Manitoba Pork Council is calling on its sister agricultural groups to express their support for a reversal of the provincial government's decision to impose regional moratoriums on hog industry expansion.

Winter Fair Offers Hands-On Experience of Livestock Production
CANADA - The 101st annual edition of the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair kicked off yesterday at Brandon's Keystone Centre and visitors are getting a unique opportunity to learn about what actually happens on a modern livestock operation, writes Bruce Coc...

Pork Commentary: Hogs and Pigs Report Offers No Panacea for What Ails Us
CANADA - The USDA March Hogs and Pigs Report was released last Friday, writes Jim Long. Unfortunately, it offers at first glance little positive news for our industry.

Primary Processing Capacity Key to Saskatchewan Hog Industry's Future Viability
CANADA - An official with Humboldt based Big Sky Farms is convinced the availability of primary processing capacity is key to the long term sustainability of Saskatchewan's pork industry, writes Bruce Cochrane.

Manitoba Moratoriums Underscore Saskatchewan’s Suitability for Hog Production
CANADA - Pork producers in Saskatchewan are pointing to recently announced moratoriums on hog industry expansion in much of neighboring Manitoba as further evidence to support the continued expansion of hog production in their province.

MPC Puts a Hold on Research Funding
MANITOBA - The Manitoba Pork Council plans a "temporary pause" on all of its research funding in view of what it says is a "permanent moratorium" on the province's hog industry.

Superbug Found in Retail Pork
CANADA - Antibiotic-resistant Staph bacteria have been found in pork products purchased in retail stores across Canada. The discovery by Canadian researchers raises questions about how the contamination occurred, how often it happens and the implications...

U of M Questions Science Behind Manitoba Moratoriums
CANADA - The University of Manitoba is raising concerns over the manner in which scientific information it provided is being used by the provincial government to justify its ban on swine industry expansion in most of Manitoba, writes Bruce Cochrane.

PEI Pig Plant Closure Brings Opportunities to Berwick
CANADA - The closure of Prince Edward Island's Charlottetown pig processing plant provides Maple Leaf-Larsen in Berwick, Nova Scotia with some new opportunities.

Tightening-Up Space - Does it Effect Growth?
With the current shift in the industry toward housing pigs in groups of 100 to 1,000 per pen, questions have been raised as to whether pigs can perform as well in large groups as they do in small.

Hog Barn Moratorium Expected to Devalue Farm Land
MANITOBA - Hog Barn Moratorium Expected to De-value Agricultural Land Manitoba Pork Council warns the province's regional ban on swine barn expansion will devalue existing hog operations in the affected areas and reduce the rural municipal tax base, writes...