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Better Pork Featured Articles

Better Pork magazine is published bimonthly. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Humans spread ASF in Europe

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Humans are responsible for the spread of African Swine Fever in eastern Europe. That is the conclusion of scientists Klaus Depner and Sandra Blome at Germany's Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut.

High levels of the virus causing ASF are found in the blood of infected animals, much less in saliva and feces, so living animals are not that contagious. Furthermore, sick animals with fevers don't travel; they stay put and die a few days after infection. Carcasses of infected wild boars do remain a source of infection for some time. The scientists speculate that, when many pigs were going to die, they were sent to slaughter and infected meat made it to markets, homes and suitcases.  The virus spread along main roads.

Farms that became infected were found to have insufficient biosecurity measures in place. Attempts to eradicate wild boars, thought to be a source of the disease, simply scared sick animals away, so that they died in other locations. Good hygiene and biosecurity are the answer, the scientists say. BP

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Sask. hosting rural innovation conference this month

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Estevan, Sask. will play host to ICED Rural 2025, Canada’s only rural innovation conference, Sept. 23 and 24. “This year’s theme zeroes in on two of the most critical challenges and opportunities facing rural innovation: Energy and Education,” the event website says. As part of the... Read this article online

Pork exports strengthen Manitoba's economy

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Manitoba’s pork export business has changed, according to a new provincial trade report released earlier this year. The report looked to sum up the province’s current pork trade landscape and identify alternate markets the province could be selling into. It was one of several such... Read this article online

Alberta Crop Harvest Moves Ahead of Averages

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

According to the AFSC and Alberta Government Crop Reporting Survey, Alberta’s 2025 harvest is moving ahead of schedule as hot and dry conditions continue across the province. By September 2, major crop harvest was 22 percent complete, a 14 percent jump from last week. This pace is ahead of... Read this article online

Ag ministers wrap up FPT meetings in Winnipeg

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

The federal government will support farmers as work continues to restore market access. That’s part of the message federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald told reporters Tuesday after two days of federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) meetings in Winnipeg. Recently announced... Read this article online

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