Are Manitoba hog producers on the verge of viral spring? As the seasons turn, the risk of livestock disease is climbing in the province.

PED outbreak hits record levels

An atypical, and ongoing, fall-winter outbreak has experts worried about what spring will bring

Ordinarily the risk of PED infections in Manitoba hog herds rises with the temperatures in the spring. But for the first time, this year the sector is heading into the usual risk season with an epidemic outbreak already raging. As of March 30, Manitoba’s office of the chief veterinary officer (CVO) had confirmed 88 cases

Manitoba Pork has set up a new working group to tackle the spread of PED, hoping to break the two-year cycle.

Manitoba pork sector to hone PED strategy

Recommendations from a value chain-spanning working group on PED are expected in late spring or summer 2022

The pork sector will not have to wait long for action items to come out of a new working group to reduce PED (porcine epidemic diarrhea). Cam Dahl, general manager with the Manitoba Pork Council, says the multi-stakeholder group is already meeting, and he expects recommendations to start flowing in by late spring or early


Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate requires all truckers coming into Canada to be fully vaccinated or, if a Canadian driver who is partially vaccinated or unvaccinated, must face testing and quarantine upon re-entry.

Empty roads a headache for hog producers

Truck drivers are at a premium and that’s a serious problem for the pork sector

There have not been enough trucks on the road to keep the pork sector ticking smoothly, and the Manitoba Pork Council says it is seeing serious impacts. General manager Cam Dahl said that, as well as general transportation disruptions through the sector, there have been issues with trucks at the Canada-U.S. border. “I’m getting reports

PED is often fatal to piglets. It was first detected in the province in 2014.

PED trajectory mirroring previous big outbreaks

The majority of the 21 cases remain in Southeastern Manitoba

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) cases this year are thus far on a similar trajectory to peak case years of 2017 and 2019 the Manitoba Pork Council (MPC) said in a townhall meeting Dec. 7. “Not to say that it will continue in 2019 and 2017 trajectories, however what we’re seeing now is not really what

Apartments stand adjacent to farm operations outside of Brandon.

Culture clash: Dealing with the rural-urban divide

Tensions can rise when ag areas get a sudden burst of population, especially if those new residents are not familiar with agriculture

To the homebuyer yearning for lower costs and a change of pace from the urban bustle, a bedroom community outside city limits looks idyllic.  The homebuyer drives out. They’re impressed with the area. They can envision raising their family in the cosier — but still conveniently commutable — small town. They break ground on a


PED can spread quickly throughout an operation once it breaches a barn’s biosecurity.

PED hits ‘outbreak’ territory

While cases remain low, a wide geographic spread and lack of answers on the investigation front have taken PED concern up a level

[UPDATED: Nov. 23, 2021] Manitoba is now looking at another outbreak year on PED. As of Nov. 19, the province had reported 11 cases of porcine epidemic diarrhea. Cases have been creeping upward since late October, including two nursery barns and one farrow to finish operation. While older animals often recover from illness, the viral

“We’ve seen a growing focus on those questions of public trust and so there’s going to be additional focus in that area.” – Cam Dahl, Manitoba Pork Council.

Manitoba Pork charts course with five-year plan

Public trust, government outreach and animal health are among the areas group identifies

The Manitoba Pork Council (MPC) has a new road map for the next five years. The producers’ group has unveiled its 2022-27 strategic plan, presented during a series of producer meetings in late October. Why it matters: The strategy document highlights key areas of effort for the coming years. “I would call it an evolution,” general

Manitoba Pork Council is hoping more farmers will participate in its antibiotic use study.

Pork council recruiting on antibiotic use study

More farmers means more and better information to improve and defend industry practices

The Manitoba Pork Council (MPC) is hoping members will help it generate better data on how farms are currently using antimicrobials, as well as how that use might be improved. The council says it would like to double the number of farms involved in its benchmark antimicrobial monitoring study. The project was launched in 2020,


“At this time, no link has been established between the two cases.” – Manitoba Pork Council.

Second case of PED confirmed

Manitoba’s immaculate 2021 record is a thing of the past with its second case

The pork industry has confirmed the year’s second case of PED (porcine epidemic diarrhea) in a finisher barn in southeast Manitoba. The case was confirmed Oct. 29. The Manitoba Pork Council (MPC) said both the year’s first case — detected in a sow barn near Blumenort Oct. 25 — and the more recent case are

The Manitoba Pork Council has confirmed the first case of PED in 2021 was discovered in a sow barn in southeastern Manitoba.

First PED case of 2021 confirmed

A year without new PED cases is off the board, with the year’s first case reported in late October

Manitoba’s streak without new PED cases has come to an end. The first case of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) in 2021 was confirmed Oct. 25 in a sow barn near Blumenort in southeastern Manitoba, attendees of an eastern district meeting of the Manitoba Pork Council heard on Tuesday. Pork council chair Rick Préjet said trace-back