Huron Expositor, 2009-05-13, Page 3Ar
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uron hog farmers losing $15 a pig during H1N1 outbreak
The Huron Expositor • May 13, 2009 Page 3
From Page 1
back when's he's already on his way
down."
Black says Ontario pork producers
are still threatened by Country of
Origin Labelling (COOL) legislation
in the U.S. that took effect last Sep-
tember.
He says farmers have been exiting
the pork industry since around 2002,
because it simply hasn't been profit-
able.
"There are far fewer pork produc-
ers than there used to be," he says.
"The older generation is getting out
and nobody is taking over. I'm not
taking over my dad's operation just
because of the returns."
But back in February, before Swine
Flu appeared, the situation was look-
ing more positive.
The prices producers received for
livestock and animal products in-
creased 13.5 per cent from February
2008.
According to StatsCan, all livestock
index components went up, while
the total crops index decreased by
almost 20 per cent from last year.
Now that hog prices have dropped
again, Black is wondering if the pork
industry will be able to recover.
He says the beef industry has been
able to bounce back to some degree
.after panic spread about BSE dis-
ease a few years ago.
So . far, the . Swine Flu has been
blamed for almost 60 deaths and
last week a farm worker in Alberta
transmitted the virus to a herd of
pigs, which have since been quaran-
tined.
Black says on Huron County farms,
if a livestock animal ever gets sick, it
is treated immediately.
"Because of the way agriculture
is today, with confined housing and
bio -security, we are able to conta
sick animals, •whether they are cat-
tle, poultry or pig," he says. "They
are medicated, treated homeopathi-
cally or possibly segregated from the
herd."
Once pigs reach the processing
stage, they are checked again for dis-
ease by veterinary inspectors.
And, because the H1N1 virus is a
respiratory virus, it cannot be trans-
mitted through the consumption of
pork.
Keith Robbins, director of com-
munications and consumer market-
ing for Ontario Pork, says suspected
cases of illness in pigs should be re-
ported to veterinarians or the Cana-
dian Food Inspection Agency.
He says potential ways of prevent-
ing the virus include vaccinating
animals, providing adequate venti-
lation in barns andidentifying and
segregating sick animals as early as
possible.
He says producers can expect to
receive a notice in the mail this
week encouraging them to minimize
contact with outside sources and to
closely monitor what goes into their
barns.
"We are asking for the Canadian
Pork Council to strengthen bio -secu-
rity protocols," he says. "It's basical-
ly just commonsense stuff, but ,you
have to be vigilant about it."
Robbins says producers need to
ensure their barns have four air ex-
changes for proper ventilation and
should reduce the amount of visitor
traffic entering into their barns.
Producers should also keep hand
washing in mind and can even wear
an N95 respiratory mask when in
contact with the pigs.
"Think of it like xi hospital. When
you enter, you take the necessary
precautions," he says.
Veterinarians should work closely
with clients to develop management
strategies to limit the incidence and
spread of swine influenza, he says.
Huron County is a major contribu-
tor of Ontario's $800 million pork
industry, which accounts for approx-
imately 33,000 jobs across the. prov-
ince.
There are about 300 pork produc-
ers in Huron County, contributing to
a. local industry worth $149 million,
according to 2006 figures.
Dea Tim c 1190!
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