The University of Saskatchewan’s vaccine research and development arm is set to become Canada’s first non-government agency to work with the African swine fever virus. Saskatoon-based Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac) will start work with the virus this month at its Containment Level 3-Agriculture (CL3-Ag) facility, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said […] Read more
VIDO-InterVac joins swine fever fight
South Korea confirms new cases of African swine fever
Seoul | Reuters — South Korea has confirmed new cases of African swine fever at hog farms in cities near the capital Seoul after the country’s first outbreak of the deadly virus last week, the agriculture ministry said on Monday. The new case occurred at a pig farm with about 1,800 pigs in the city […] Read more
Hog market at seasonal lows, turnaround expected
MarketsFarm — The Canadian hog market may be at its seasonal lows, but tightening worldwide supplies should underpin values over the next few months. “We’re at a seasonal time of year when prices move lower,” said Brad Marceniuk, livestock economist with Saskatchewan Agriculture, pointing to higher U.S. slaughter numbers and a slowdown in North American […] Read more
Canada, EU agree to swine fever zoning rules
Canada and Europe have agreed to new zoning arrangements in a case of African swine fever outbreak, but it’s not clear what will actually change. The agreement, which Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced Wednesday. would allow for safe trade of swine products from disease-free zones if a case of ASF is found. Zoning principles applying […] Read more
China’s cabinet sees ‘shortcomings’ in bid to contain swine fever
Beijing | Reuters — China has shown shortcomings in some aspects of preventing African swine fever, and the situation remains complicated and severe, the country’s cabinet said Wednesday. The management of transporting live hogs is not strict enough, while there is insufficient capacity in testing for African swine fever virus in hog slaughtering, processing and […] Read more
Canada, U.S. plan trade zones for whenever swine fever hits
Federal officials in Canada and the U.S. have agreed on zone defense, so to speak, to allow safe trade of hogs and pork products if African swine fever should turn up in hogs in either country. Canada’s chief veterinary officer Dr. Jaspinder Komal and U.S. CVO Dr. Jack Shere said Wednesday the two countries have […] Read more
U.S. to begin testing sick and dead pigs for African swine fever
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture within weeks will begin testing sick and dead pigs for a hog virus that has killed herds across Asia in an effort to minimize devastation if the disease enters the United States, the agency said on Thursday. Increased testing aims to help U.S. officials detect cases […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME hog futures limit down on China trade fight, swine fever fears
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures plunged by the daily trading limit on Monday, and cattle was lower, amid worries about the spread of African swine fever and fears that President Donald Trump will follow through with threats to impose additional tariffs on China. The tariff threat, which sparked broad selling on equity […] Read more
Swine fever in China poses risks, rewards for Canadian pork
MarketsFarm — Sharp losses in China’s hog herd due to African swine fever (ASF) are underpinning the North American pork market and could create export opportunities for Canada — if this country manages to stay disease-free. ASF does not affect humans, but the highly viral disease is nearly 100 per cent fatal for hogs with […] Read more
Piles of pigs: Swine fever outbreaks go unreported in rural China
Baoding, China | Reuters — When pigs on the Xinda Husbandry breeding farm in northern China began dying in growing numbers in early January, it looked increasingly likely that the farm had been struck by the much feared African swine fever, an incurable disease that has spread rapidly across the country since last year. But […] Read more
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