'Pocket pigs' pose problems Sunday, February 6, 2011 "Pocket pigs" got a big boost last year in Britain when celebrity guests, including soccer star David Beckham and his glamorous wife Victoria, went home from the Golden Globe movie awards with miniature pot-bellied pigs in their goodie bags. The pigs, which cost £3,000 to buy, were compliments of the owner of Patty's Royal Dandie Miniature Pet Pig. It was a good publicity stunt. By early December British authorities were warning of dangers involved in buying these pigs as pets for children. The pigs can carry and pass on the skin condition erysipeloid and the bacterium Streptococcus suis, which can lead to illness, including meningitis and deafness in humans. The micro pigs have been bred down to size, only 28 grams at birth. They still weigh as much as 29 kilograms and 35 centimetres in height when fully grown. They can live to be 18 years old. BP Manitoba producers sink under an increasing burden of regulation Worldwide hog production shrinks and Smithfield rocks
Canadian Swine Researchers Face November 13 Deadline for Up to $150,000 in Research Funding Thursday, November 5, 2026 Swine Innovation Porc is seeking research proposals focused on animal health, biosecurity, production efficiency, sustainability and pork quality, with funding available for projects addressing key challenges facing Canada’s pork industry. Canadian swine researchers have until November 13... Read this article online
Canadian Pork Research Enters New Phase with More Flexible Funding for Industry Priorities Thursday, November 5, 2026 Canada’s pork industry is strengthening its approach to research and innovation through a funding model designed to address both long-term industry priorities and emerging challenges facing producers. Swine Innovation Porc (SIP), the national organization coordinating research for... Read this article online
Exploring grape pomace’s potential as pork sausage preservative Thursday, November 5, 2026 Scientists at Iowa State University are studying grape pomace as an alternative preservative for pork breakfast sausage. The U.S. sausage market exceeds $7.5 billion. Processed meats often use synthetic ingredients to maintain overall quality, stability and safety. However, consumer... Read this article online
Pork producers applaud long-awaited EPA data decision Thursday, November 5, 2026 For more than 20 years, hog and other livestock farmers have lived with uncertainty over what new federal permitting or reporting requirements could result from an emissions study conducted nearly two decades ago. In a regulatory win for pork producers and other farmers, the Environmental... Read this article online
Ag in the House: Oct. 26 – 30 Thursday, November 5, 2026 On Oct. 26, Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald fielded a question from a fellow Liberal MP about how the federal government is supporting food security across Canada. Chi Nguyen, the Ontario MP for Spadina—Harbourfront, asked the minister to share how the government is going to invest... Read this article online