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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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Strychnine training available now

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

The mandatory training course for Prairie individuals planning to apply or distribute strychnine to control Richardson’s ground squirrels (gophers), is available now. The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) is offering the course until Aug. 1 to people in Saskatchewan... Read this article online

How to Keep Your Groundwater Safe and Clean 

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Groundwater plays a vital role for families and businesses in rural and agricultural settings. It supports essential activities such as livestock care, irrigation, and cleaning processes, and in many areas, it's the sole source of drinking water. For this reason, it's critical for rural... Read this article online

Rising Waters on the Canadian Prairies and Beyond

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Spring flooding is intensifying across large portions of Canada, placing farms under growing pressure during one of the most important windows of the agricultural year. From the Prairies to Central Canada and into Atlantic regions, saturated soils, elevated rivers, and damaged rural... Read this article online

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