Agriculture Review for Thursday, February 17, 2022

MELFORT, Sask. – Animal health and disease control will be the focus of two projects funded by the federal and Manitoba governments.

The Invasive Pigs Initiative will help mitigate the threat of invasive pigs among commercial herds from diseases such as African swine fever (ASF). Efforts will include the search, pen and euthanasia of invasive pigs.

Manitoba is developing a draft strategy for invasive swine control and will collect feedback from industry, interest groups and the public.

The Manitoba Swine Disease Surveillance Project will focus on the risk of swine diarrhea (PED).

The pig sector is Manitoba’s third largest commodity in terms of farm cash receipts, at $ 1.1 billion.

Governments will spend $ 680,900 under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to support projects.

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A turkey farmer says poultry operations in western Nova Scotia are on high alert and are taking precautions to ensure the safety of their birds once bird flu is detected in one flock.

Vice President of Turkey Farmers of New Scotland Lori Ansems said that although many farmers are concerned, they also feel supported by the measures taken by the Canadian Food Control Agency (CFIA).

Ansems said the measures include a 10-kilometer control zone around the affected farm, where 12,000 turkeys were to be euthanized this month.

She said farms also have restrictions on movement and measures are being taken, such as washing feed wheels to prevent the spread of the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus.

The commercial impact of some international export restrictions is minimal for Nova Scotia farmers who sell their turkey products domestically.

The CFIA has stated that bird flu naturally circulates among birds and can affect food-producing birds including chickens, turkeys, quails and guinea fowl, as well as poultry and wild birds.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

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https://farmnewsnow.com/2022/02/17/agriculture-roundup-for-thursday-february-17-2022/ Agriculture Review for Thursday, February 17, 2022