Chris Novak, CEO of the National Pork Board, announced plans for a new common industry audit platform for pork producers, packers and processors. Using the existing Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA Plus) program as the foundation, the year-long audit team is nearing the final stages of completion and the initial common audit framework. The program was unveiled during World Pork …
BIVI Celebrates 20 Years of PRRS Solutions
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica (BIVI) celebrated 20 years of PRRS (porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome) solutions during this year’s World Pork Expo. Reid Philips, DVM, technical manager for PRRS vaccines and BIVI outlined how far the swine industry has come in the last two decades in controlling the virus. Interestingly, Reid explained that in the 1980s when PRRS was first showing …
TOPIGS & Norsvin Announce Merger During WPX14
A major announcement was made during this year’s 2014 World Pork Expo: TOPIGS International and Norsvin International have merged into one company: Topigs Norsvin. The merger will create a global swine breeding company with annual revenues in excess of US $179 million. The newly merged company’s headquarters will be located in Vught, the Netherlands. TOPIGS Nederland, Varkens K.I. Nederland and …
Innovation Galore At World Pork Expo
Each year people from around the world come to World Pork Expo (WPX) and ask the question: what new things will I find there? So I asked Dr. Howard Hill, National Pork Producer Council (NPPC) president, veterinarian and Iowa pork producer, that question and his answer: a lot. A few highlights he mentioned included all the press conferences and seminars …
Farmers Use of Electricity on the Rise
According to a recent Today in Energy, published by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), farmers make up a large share of electricity use in the industrial sector. A significant portion of a growers’ electricity needs is for farm irrigation systems, which are categorized by electric utilities as industrial load. For example, Nebraska is largely rural and agricultural, but it has …
Calling All Growers to Take the Distillers Grain Survey
Calling all corn growers! Iowa State University is looking at how the use of distillers grains have changed in the United States over the past several years. Interested growers are invited to participate in a survey currently being conducted by Iowa State University Assistant Professor Dr. Kurt Rosentrater. The survey findings will create a better overall picture of the roll …
Novozymes Adds New US R&D BioAg Center
Novozymes has announced the company will build a new research and development center located near the Research Triangle in Park in Cary, North Carolina dedicated to bioagriculture business. The company will invest nearly $36 million over the next three years and create 100 new research and development jobs. “The world needs sustainable agricultural solutions now more than ever before. By …
Book Review – Three Green Rats: An Eco Tale
Tru dat rat. Ok, so if you don’t have kids or hang out with kids, you may not have any idea what I just said. But the three green rat brothers of Tintown’s Broken Bottle Lane encourage us to walk softly and reduce, reuse and recycle in the children’s tale, “Three Green Rats: An Eco Tale“. Written by Linda Mason …
2014 BIVI PRRS Research Awards Announced
In conjunction with the recent Swine Health Seminar in Dallas, Texas, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) announced the winners of its Advancement in PRRS Research Awards during the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) Conference. The awards are designed to encourage ongoing discoveries in practical approaches to disease management. “The recent emergence of PED virus reminds us of the importance …
Extra Benefits of Sow + Piglet PCV2 Vaccinations
Porcine Circovirus (PCV2) began to present considerable issues in the sow herds in the United States in 2005 and 2006 and the disease has been in the forefront of research for the last several years. Dr. Robert Desrosiers, professional service veterinarian, BI, Ltd, Canada, has been reviewing the research to determine if there is a benefit to vaccinating sows for …