Benchmark Magazine Article Archive

Within the pork industry, heat stress poses a significant threat to overall pig production, impairing health, productivity, and well-being at all life stages.

Despite advancements in understanding the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and increased efforts to prevent, control, or eliminate it, the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) still causes significant issues for the pig farming industry worldwide.

Today’s pork producers know that biosecurity is essential in every aspect of pig production.

Gilts are the foundation of the herd, which allows it to have the best farrowing rates and to have a total of 14–15 pigs in their first litter.

Achieving 30+ pigs per sow per year was once a lofty goal, but today it is a fairly common achievement thanks to genetic improvements in litter size.

After more than a year of financial losses, the North American swine sector is finally turning a corner.

One thing’s for sure: The world needs more Canadian pork. Despite the obviousness of that statement, there are many challenges to getting the product where people want it - where there’s consumer demand.

Respiratory disease in pigs is arguably the most important health concern for swine producers today. In 1995, the National Animal Health Monitoring System reported respiratory disease as the leading cause of mortality in nursery and grow-to-finish operations.

African Swine Fever (ASF) is not yet present in the US, but this deadly porcine virus has been spreading globally since 2007.