'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
Hong Kong suspends Alberta egg and poultry shipments Wednesday, June 3, 2026 Alberta eggs and poultry have temporarily lost access to an Asian trading partner. Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety (CFS) which under the Food and Environment Hygiene Department is responsible for ensuring food is safe, suspended the import of poultry meat and eggs from Alberta on May... Read this article online
Alberta RCMP launches Rural Organized Crime Team Wednesday, June 3, 2026 The Alberta RCMP is launching a new unit to monitor crime in rural communities. Following a $2 million investment from the provincial government, the RCMP announced part of the funding will support the creation of a new Rural Organized Crime Team (ROCT). The ROCT will be “a mobile unit... Read this article online
Drought Reaches Record Levels Across U.S. Midwest - What's the Outlook for the Summer? Wednesday, June 3, 2026 Drier weather across the Midwest and Upper Midwest has ushered in a new wave of drought concerns, with portions of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Indiana newly appearing on the U.S. Drought Monitor, according to the Nutrien Weekly Weather Intelligence Report by meteorologist Eric... Read this article online
Weekly Hog Market Facts: Ontario Prices Hold Steady While Futures Pull Back Wednesday, June 3, 2026 Ontario hog prices remained relatively stable heading into the week ending May 22, 2026, even as U.S. futures markets softened and slaughter volumes trended lower. The latest Weekly Hog Market Facts report highlights a market that continues to balance solid fundamentals with growing... Read this article online
Alberta Pork Congress 2026 Set to Bring Innovation and Industry Leaders to Red Deer Tuesday, June 2, 2026 The Alberta Pork Congress (APC) 2026 is set to return to Westerner Park in Red Deer on June 10 and 11, 2026, bringing together producers, suppliers, and industry leaders from across Western Canada for two days of innovation, education, and connection. Recognized as one of the most... Read this article online