Better Pork - June/July 2002
New Ridgetown study shows pig numbers down three per cent between December and March
A large sample taken of Ontario pork producers by economists Ken McEwan and Randy Duffy aims to provide Ontario producers with the same kind of detailed information their U.S. counterparts receiveby ROBERT IRWIN
A new study of Ontario's pork industry shows pig numbers in the province are down. Ridgetown College economists Ken McEwan and Randy Duffy provided Better Pork with the first public results of their analysis of Ontario production, showing that the number of pigs on Ontario farms fell by three per cent between December 2001 and March 2002. (See Table 7)
For years, many Ontario producers and processors have longed for production information which would help them plan marketings by providing the kind of information available to their U.S. counterparts through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Hogs and Pigs Report. Statistics Canada provides some information, but many say it isn't as timely or accurate as the USDA report.
"We wanted to develop greater market intelligence in the hog industry by collecting production data on a quarterly basis," explains Duffy. He and McEwan spent time in the United States studying USDA methodology and even participated in the lockup, which precedes release of quarterly USDA reports. Their report mirrors USDA's inventory categories and production intentions.
To boost accuracy, Duffy and McEwan monitored a relatively large sample group, collecting data by phone, fax and email from 26.5 per cent of all Ontario pork producers. Farms of all sizes were included.
Table 6: Quarterly Marketing Intentions: Number of Pigs, OntarioNote: 1 Mar -Aug 2002 Intentions = Total Intentions / 2
2000-2002 Quarter Intentions Actual 3 Difference (l) (A) (D=A-l) 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head Mar 2000 - May 2000 1,251.1 1,116.90 (134.2) June 2000 - Aug 2000 1,229.5 1,111.70 (117.8) Sep 2000 - Nov 2000 1,238.7 1,180.80 (58.0) Dec 2000 - Feb 2001 1,273.2 1,150.10 (123.1) Mar 2001-May 2001 1,192.2 1,165.90 (26.4) Jun 2001 - Aug 2001 1,179.6 1,120.70 (58.8) Sep 2001 - Nov 2001 1,134.1 1,279.30 145.2 Dec 2001 - Feb 2002 1,174.7 1,254.10 79.3 Mar 2002 - May 2002 1,2 1185.6 - - June 2002 - Aug 20021,2 1,185.6 - -
2 Intentions for Mar - Aug 2002
3 OPPMB Sales, Including boars and sows
- represents not available
Difference = Actual - Intentions
Marketing Intentions = ((Inventory) - (Death Loss) - (Sales Out of Ontario) - (On and Off-Farm Replacements)) Divided by (Expected Slaughter Period)
Table 7: Pigs, Supply-Disposition Balance Sheet, Quarterly, Ontario, 2002
Note
Dec 2001 - Feb 2002 000 head 1 Inventory at December 1 3,208.80 2 Pig Crop 1 1,741.40 3 Imports 0 4 Total Supply (1+2+3) 4950.2 5 Ontario Hogs Slaughtered in Canadian Plants 2,3 1,291.70 6 Exports to the U.S. (feeder + slaughter) 2,3 462.70 7 Deaths & Condemnations 80.00 8 Output (5+6+7) 1,834.40 9 Inventory at March 3,115.80 Residual (4-8-9) 0.00
1 Number of pigs born (and saved) during the quarter that were either on hand at the end of the quarter or had been sold.
2. Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Monthly Livestock and Meat Trade Report, Pages 7 & 8.
3 EstimateMcEwan says he and Duffy waited two years to release their first results because they wanted to test the credibility of their numbers by comparing producer estimates and projections with actual marketings. Table 6 shows that stated producer intentions do correlate accurately with marketings. "The results of this survey are within +/- 5.5155 per cent for 95 per cent of the time," McEwan explains. This compares very favourably with USDA results.
Both Duffy and McEwan stressed their appreciation to producers for providing funding through Ontario Pork. Current plans are to continue producing reports "for a few more quarters."
Results
As Table 2 shows, the Ontario Inventory of All Pigs on March 1, 2002 was 3.1158 million head. This is three percent below Dec. 1, 2001, estimates by Ridgetown College (3.21 million head) and one percent below Jan. 1, 2002, estimates provided by Statistics Canada (3.14 million head). The Breeding Stock Inventory is calculated to be 358,000 head which is slightly higher than the December 1, 2001, figures provided by Ridgetown College (357,700 head) and seven per cent lower than the January 1, 2002, estimates provided by Statistics Canada (385,400 head). The Market Hog Inventory was determined to be 2.76 million head, or three per cent lower than December values supplied by Ridgetown College and similar to January values supplied by StatsCan.
Graph 1: Ontario Pigs Per Litter
Ontario farmers intended to have 191,840 sows farrow during the December 2001-February 2002 quarter. For the March-May 2002 period, producers indicate 206,370 sows are to farrow. The average pigs born alive per litter is 10.32 for the December-February quarter and is expected to be 10.32 for the March-May quarter. The number of pigs saved per litter is 9.08 for the December to February quarter and is estimated to be 9.08 for the March to May time period.
The intended market hog sales by quarter are:
Quarter Marketings ('000 head) March-May 1,185.6 June-August 1,185.6 While total pigs are down three per cent and the Market Hog inventory is down three per cent from the previous quarter, the Breeding Stock inventory is up slightly. Recent USDA Hogs and Pigs Reports showed the U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on March 1, 2002, as one per cent lower than last quarter, but the breeding inventory was slightly above last quarter.
One curious finding shown in Graph 1 is that, unlike the United States where the largest farms wean more pigs per litter, small Ontario farms seem able to equal or exceed productivity achieved by our larger units. McEwan says this may reflect the time period studied, or it could be the result of the industry structure in the United States. BP
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Holland: More money for bio-pork
By NORMAN DUNNFor organic pig meat production to succeed on any scale, farmers must have solid, long-term contracts under their belts, says Edwin de Boer. He's manager in Groene Weg (Green Path), an organization that offers bio-meat producers in the Netherlands exactly this sort of security.
But he warns that the consumer must also be reassured. Groene Weg offers guarantees that the bio-meat is produced under strict animal welfare and ecological rules with monitoring right down the chain from barn to shop floor.
Groene Weg is actually owned by one of the country's largest slaughter and meat processing concerns, Dumeco, and already agreements have been signed with top supermarket chains including the biggest in Holland, Albert Heijn, for supplied bio-meat to be marketed in a way that they hope will catch customers' imaginations.
This year, about 25,000 pigs from contracted organic farmers are to be slaughtered and marketed under the new program. Next year, Edwin de Boer expects the total to rise to around 100,000 and eventually to around five per cent of total national hog output, which could be just over one million hog carcasses per year.
Organic farmers already benefit from existing European Union and national support programs. In the Netherlands, cropland earns an annual payment off $140 Cdn per acre, bank loans for organic farmers are from one to 1.5 per cent below normal rates and tax breaks of up to $15,000 Cdn per year are available. Now the Dutch government has announced that it will give the equivalent of $350,000 Cdn this year towards advertising home-grown organic foods. The Ministry of Agriculture is also to help farmers starting off an organic system with grants equal to 30 per cent of initial costs involved, such as for new buildings or machinery.
Groene Weg recognises that the success of its scheme will depend on a delicate balance of establishing products like its assured bio-pork firmly in the public eye and then getting the retail pricing right.
Edwin de Boers says that prices must offer the farmers up to double the gross return of conventionally reared pigs in order to cover the extra costs and reduced performance. "The retail outlets will have to absorb some of this extra price and realistically can only charge the consumer between 30 and 70 per cent extra for bio-pork, depending on class of outlet," he adds.
"If the quality of the end products and the strict controls can convince the public, then we believe that consumer concerns over welfare and ecology in this country will encourage them to pay the extra costs." BP
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BRITAIN: Operation Survival helps home-grown pork
by NORMAN DUNNHampered by higher hog welfare and housing costs than their European neighbours, British producers have launched a long-term campaign of personal farmer involvement in retailing to ensure that the home product gets a fair chance in the stores.
At end of April 2002, break-even hog production cost was the equivalent of $2.50 Cdn per kg while actual income was between $2.26 and $2.30/kg. Meanwhile, foreign-produced pork was coming into the country at several cents below the British price.
Codenamed "Operation Survival," the British hog marketing campaign has been planned by the National Pig Association (NPA). "Our products are also at a disadvantage because of the very strong pound value against the Euro," says the NPA's Stuart Royston. "We want to convince the consumers about the welfare and quality assurance we offer as farmers and processors. But we also want honest labelling so that the consumer can be sure which country the meat comes from."
As part of "Operation Survival," farmers are picked by the NPA to visit supermarkets and check that displays of British pork and bacon are properly labelled and attractively laid-out. Main theme: prices are higher because quality and welfare is better.
Some supermarkets are co-operating from the start. Urged on by the farmers, the leading U.K. chain ASDA ran a test between very clear national labelling of bacons in five major stores and conventional, less clear descriptions of bacon in displays in another nine stores. Royston reports that sales were well up in the stores showing clearly the national origins for the different bacons.
"In fact, sales increased significantly for both British and foreign bacons," he says. "The main point is that the test showed that differentiation pays for everyone. It also pays for the retailers in another way because the results indicated that product selection was much quicker, with clearly-labelled bacon picked up in 10 seconds on average as against 50 seconds for unclearly labelled products."
When more involvement in the part of the stores has been secured, the NPA then wants to involve the politicians in securing more backing for home-produced pork.
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Germany: Simple substitute for antibiotics
In trials on feeding hogs, powdered chalk is proving a promising substitute for antibiotics
by NORMAN DUNN
Powdered chalk as a pig feed ingredient increased daily liveweight gain (dlwg) by an average 7.8 per cent and reduced the feed conversion ratio from 1:3.09 to 1:2.84 in trials at the Educational and Research Institute for Livestock Housing and Technology at Iden in Germany.The chalk is no ordinary product, however. The manufacturer, Bioaktiv, says that certain salts are added to the basic product and it is subjected to electromagnetic impulses during the mixing procedure. "The Bioaktiv people claim that the additive's effect on pig health and performance is more homeopathic than attributable to conventional physical medicine," explains researcher Bruno Schultze from the Iden institute.
The trials were carried out with 200 feeding hogs sired by Pietrain boars and out of Yorkshire x Landrace mothers. Scientists caution that more research remains to be done on the way in which the chalk product works within the pigs. "We can say, however, that effects so far on pig performance appear to be significant," affirms Bruno Schultze.
The tests with powdered chalk were started because antibiotics in feed as performance boosters are no longer allowed in Germany and the search is on for more natural additives that can take the place of the medicaments as performance stabilisers.
The institute ran the trial with two batches of 100 hogs kept through to slaughter in identical compartments within the same barn. Both groups were fed conventional cereal-based rations with one getting an extra 200 g/t of the powdered chalk product.
The institute's claims of significant results from this first trial are backed up by results including an average 808 g/day weight gain, 59 g/day more than the control group. The positive influence of the completely natural additive continued right through to the slaughter line where carcasses from the hogs on chalk had a lean meat proportion of 57.6 per cent, an average more than one percentage point above that of the control group carcases.
These positive results led to the feeding hogs earning the equivalent of $9.93 Cdn per hog more than the control group. Extra cost for the chalk additive came to $1.14/hog. BP
Results: Educational and Research Institute for Livestock Housing and Technology, Iden, Germany.
Chalk in feed boosts performance
dlwg (g) Feed conversion Lean meat per cent Hogs with 200 g/t chalk in feed 808 1:2.84 57.6 Conventionally fed hogs 749 1:3.09 56.3 Performance differences (per cent) 7.8 8.0 1.3
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What's the reality behind these erysipelas outbreaks?
Cyclical patterns in erysipelas outbreaks have been noted for more than half a century, concludes a U.S. diagnostic pathologist. And there is no evidence that these Erysipelothrix organisms are any different than those circulating 50 years agoBy S. ERNEST SANFORD
For several decades, erysipelas seemed to have taken a backseat to newer diseases like PRRS, APP, Strep suis and PMWS. Over the last few years, however, renewed and sometimes severe outbreaks of erysipelas have erupted across Canada. On a broader plain, there have been two or three cycles of outbreaks swinging through the U.S. Midwest dating back over the last decade.With this backdrop, I was very pleased to see that Dr. Kent Schwartz, diagnostic pathologist at Iowa State University, had dealt with this issue head on at the 2002 annual meeting of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians in Kansas City last March.
Here are some of the key conclusions:
Cyclical patterns to erysipelas outbreaks, often referred to as "an erysipelas year" and associated with hot summers, have been noted for more than 50 years. No strain, genetic or antigenic differences are ever detected in Erysipelothrix spp. isolates during these cycles. No differences in the isolates based on season or year are ever noted.
Below are three scenarios that raise alarms about "outbreak" cycles.
Scenario 1: Outbreaks in vaccinated breeding herds, especially large herds, where 0.1-1% of sows have diamond-skin lesions accompanied by some abortions.
Comment: These are generally resolved following sow herd booster vaccinations. Newer vaccines with longer duration of immunity (DOI) may also be beneficial.
Scenario 2:Outbreaks in suckling and/or nursery pigs, probably due to inadequate passive immunity protection from dams.
Comment: Treatment with penicillin and booster vaccination of the sow herd usually produces the desired results. Might have to vaccinate piglets until booster sow vaccinations take effect.
Scenario 3: Occasional condemnation at slaughter for "septicemia" or skin lesions. This is usually an "asymptomatic" erysipelas outbreak at or just before marketing and unrecognized at the farm. Usually seen at ante-mortem examination or postmortem inspection after scalding.
Comment: Revision of vaccination protocol and checking on compliance are necessary. Booster vaccination later in grow-finish period could be done until things cool down again.
Dr. Schwartz also provided some speculative answers to a couple of common questions.
Question: Have Erysipelothrix outbreaks become serious due to changes in the organism? allowing for more severe outbreaks?
Answer: There is no evidence that these Erysipelothrix organisms are any different from those circulating 50 years ago. There are no tests available to differentiate variability in virulence or antigenicity. Biological variability does occur among isolates. However, since herds almost invariably return to normal after very conventional interventions, it seems more likely that there was some temporary disruption in the routine within the herd than that there has been any new invading strain or virulent isolate.
Question: Are current vaccines no longer controlling newer strains of Erysipelothrix?
Answer: Waves of outbreaks probably reflect the short duration of immunity (DOI) of most conventional erysipelas vaccines. New, more potent vaccines, however, have much longer DOIs and should not suffer from these perceptions.
In recent years, erysipelas outbreaks have increased in frequency and seemingly in intensity. However, these "outbreaks" fit into a cyclical pattern that has repeated itself for over 50 years. There are no strain or virulence differences detectable in current Erysipelothrix spp. isolates from those of previous decades. Historically, erysipelas vaccines have had short duration of immunity and newer vaccines now provide longer-lasting immunity.BP
S. Ernest Sanford, DVM, Dip Path, Diplomate ACVP, is a swine specialist with Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada)Ltd., Vetmedica Division, in Burlington.
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