Past Events (1,484)

Canadian Pork Council and Canadian Meat Council support Minister MacAulay’s China visit, discussions

The Minister of Agriculture’s visit to China last week is an important step in improving relations with the People’s Republic of China, and both the Canadian Meat Council and the Canadian Pork Council were pleased to join him for the trip.

Connecting The Dots Between Tail Lesions, Teeth Clipping and Carcass Condemnations, by Melanie Boucher, DVM Southwest Ontario Veterinary Service

Osteomyelitis is the medical term for the presence of an abscess (pus) in bone. Osteomyelitis is often related to bacterial infections that are initially established within superficial lesions that subsequently invade adjacent tissues or travel to internal organs or tissues via the blood stream (pyemia).

Brooke Rollins Nominated as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture: What It Means for American Farmers

Brooke Rollins, a former White House domestic policy adviser and current CEO of the America First Policy Institute, has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump as the next U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. If confirmed, Rollins will become the second woman in history to lead the USDA, following Ann Veneman’s tenure under President George W. Bush. A New Chapter for the USDA Rollins brings a diverse background in conservative policy advocacy, including her leadership at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, where she championed initiatives such as school choice, fossil fuels, and faith-based programs. As Secretary, she will oversee the USDA’s $200 billion budget, which supports programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and school meal regulations. Her nomination comes at a critical time, with the potential reauthorization of the trillion-dollar farm bill looming. The farm bill, which

“Swine Industry on Edge: Trump Commerce Nominee Sparks Fresh Trade War Concerns

The recent nomination of Howard Lutnick as Commerce Secretary by President-elect Donald Trump has intensified concerns within the swine industry regarding a potential escalation in the U.S.-China trade war. Lutnick, a prominent Wall Street executive and advocate for stringent trade measures, is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the administration’s trade policies, particularly those affecting agricultural exports. During Trump’s first term, the imposition of tariffs on Chinese goods led to significant retaliatory measures from China, including substantial tariffs on U.S. pork products. This resulted in decreased exports and financial strain on American pork producers. The swine industry is now apprehensive that Lutnick’s appointment could signal a return to aggressive trade tactics, potentially reigniting trade tensions with China. China remains a crucial market for U.S. pork exports. Any renewed trade disputes could disrupt this vital trade relationship, leading to oversupp

It has been a better-than-usual fall

Pork cutout value has been remarkably strong this fall. Over the last eight weeks, cutout has averaged $97.46/cwt. That is $8.62 higher than the same weeks last year. Two of the eight weeks were above $100/cwt. This strength in cutout has not been fully reflected in hog prices, but hog prices have been strong enough to boost profits. Calculations by economists at Iowa State University put October profits for typical Iowa farrow-to-finish operations at $9.30 per hog sold. That was $27.82 better than a year earlier. It was the best October profits since 2021 and was the seventh consecutive month of black ink following seven consecutive months of losses. Cost of production for Iowa hogs dropped in October to $82.29/cwt (carcass weight). That was the lowest level since December 2021. Declining corn prices are a major factor in the lower cost of producing hogs. USDA is predicting the average farm price of corn for the current marketing year at $4.10 per bushel. That is 45 cents lower than