Behind the Lines - June 2015

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Not only is the pork industry shared across North America, so are the expectations of producers. That's why Better Pork writer Mary Baxter writes about a common swine industry audit in the United States in this month's cover story. (See page 6.)

It's a matter of opinion as to whether Canada is badly behind or only slightly behind the United States in regard to these audits. It is clear that facility spot checks will be part of the future for producers who sell to processors expecting to export. For China, food safety is paramount. On the other hand, animal welfare is paramount for European buyers, who operate with another set of parameters in mind – that is, if tariff barriers across the Atlantic can be dismantled in multilateral talks.

The massive trade show Eurotier happens every other year in Germany and it is quite the show, writes Prairie Swine Centre CEO Lee Whittington, who looks at trends and innovations in marketing, genetics and, of course, welfare. Whittington explores the European approach to the so-called five freedoms of animal welfare and the ways equipment suppliers appear to be adapting. That story starts on page 38. In a thoughtful contribution to Second Look on our back page, well-known Ontario producer James Reesor casts a critical eye on one of the five freedoms Whittington describes. Reesor suggests that the elimination of sow stalls is not the step forward many believe it to be.

Starting on page 12, nutrition writer Janice Murphy looks at the value of feeding diatomaceous earth products as an antidote to the toxic effects of grain-borne zearalenone in pig feed. The early research shows promise.

While producers tend to face diseases up close, swine veterinary consultant Ernest Sanford stands back and looks at the big picture. The shopping list of diseases that threaten the pork industry in various parts of the world is a long one. His column can be found on page 46. BP

ROBERT IRWIN