Joe Dales's Blog (72)

New and alternative sanitization procedures for antibiotic-free swine barns

Certain barns that switched to antibiotic-free production observed increased prevalence of pathogens after a few years on the program. Developing improved sanitization and disinfection procedures is an

Olymel Unveils Strategic Restructuring Plan in Response to Shifting Production Dynamics

Olymel, a key player in the meat processing industry, has unveiled a strategic restructuring plan aimed at optimizing its operational footprint amidst evolving production trends. This initiative follows the recent announcement of the closure of its Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu plant in Quebec, Canada.

Genesus Global Market Report Canada April 2024

The 2024 Canadian industry outlook is looking more positive for profitability each week

Mitigating Tail Biting in Pigs: Amino Acid Supplementation vs. Environmental Enrichment By Hannah Jansen DVM Southwest Ontario Veterinary Services

Some European producers have elected to formulate relatively low crude protein diets in an effort to reduce environmental nitrogen excretion (pollution)

Study Highlights Hog Pricing Trends, Importance of Livestock Mandatory Reporting

In a policy brief published by Iowa State University Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, economists apply the USDA's Livestock Mandatory Reporting (LMR) data to identify changes in how producers have priced hogs over time. Ever.ag Chief Livestock Economist Steve Meyer and Iowa State University associate professor and extension economist Lee Schulz examined various pricing mechanisms across three time periods and found that, in all but one instance, average negotiated prices have been lower than other categories. For all time periods studied, negotiated prices have been the most variable. Additionally, the average negotiated price has the largest coefficient of variation, indicating greater relative price risk than other pricing categories. Since wholesale pork volumes and prices became mandatory under LMR in 2013, producers and packers have been increasingly using USDA’s calculated pork cutout value as a pricing mechanism for hogs. Meyer and Schulz found that, for all t