International Pig Veterinary Society Congress 2012 ‘early bird’ deadline approaching

The final deadline for the "early bird" registration for the International Pig Veterinary Society Congress 2012 congress in Jeju, Korea is March 15.
Delegates and students are urged to take advantage of the discounts available with this offer, which can be found on the Congress website. The conference is being held at the International Convention Centre from June 10 to June 13.
The theme of this year’s event is “Happy Pigs – Healthy People” and the program has been specifically designed to cover every aspect of the swine industry, including economically important diseases, new and exotic diseases, production management, feed and nutrition, genetics, welfare and pork safety. 

Pfizer launches dysentery awareness campaign, prevention becomes high priority in winter

Pfizer Animal Health has launched a campaign to increase awareness of swine dysentery and has published a guide, "Enteric Disease Management," that details its prevention and treatment.
According to Pfizer, prevention should be a particularly high priority in winter due to the pathogen's ability to survive for up to seven weeks outside a pig in cold, moist conditions. Dysentery is estimated to cost more than £10 per pig finished when higher mortality, increased feed costs and non-marketable animals are taken into consideration.
The guide also covers other pathogens, such as E. coli, salmonella and coronavirus, and discusses the potential causes for each pathogen.

New online swine science undergrad program offered

Swine Science Online is the first ever undergraduate online swine science program.
The program is currently available through Iowa State University, Colorado State University, North Carolina State University, South Dakota State University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Missouri. The program begins this fall with six courses in subjects like basic swine science and swine business and records analysis. When the program is completed, students may apply for a certificate from the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence.

Allen D. Leman Swine Conference will take place in September

The University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine will host the 37th Annual Allen D. Leman Swine Conference at the River Center in Saint Paul, Minn., September 18-21. A wide range of topics will be reviewed by experts in their field. The swine keynote sessions will include:
“A Wall Street View of the Protein Market” presented by Farhas Aslam, managing director at Stephens Inc.;
“Elimination of PRRS” by the faculty of the University of Minnesota;
“Feeding a Growing World Without Destroying the Planet” by Professor John Foley, director of the University Minnesota Institute on the Environment; and
“Bringing Prosperity to the Smallholder African Farmer through Livestock” by Dr. Greg BeVier of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Sponsors of the conference include Pfizer Animal Health, Boehringer Ingelheim, Alpharma Animal Health, Bayer Animal Health, Intervet/Schering Plough Animal Health, Novus International and the National Pork Board.

Vietnam projects pork increase

An estimated seven million households in Vietnam produce pigs, according to a profile of national livestock production prepared by the Vietnamese Ministry Of Agriculture And Rural Development for an intergovernmental meeting on avian influenza held in Hanoi.
Projections from the ministry’s livestock department suggest that on-farm pig numbers in Vietnam could rise from 33 million in 2008 to 57.6 million in 2020, taking the country’s annual pork production from 2.77 million to 4.12 million metric tons, as the demand for pork by Vietnamese consumers rises by 38% from 30.7 kilograms to 42.5 kilograms per person per year.
Vietnam is a rapidly growing nation with a population of some 86 million people, according to the ministry. Its human population is expected to increase to 110 million by 2030—equivalent to adding another million people annually. Population density is highest in the Red River Delta and the south and southeast, including the Mekong River Delta and Ho Chi Minh City. In 2009, 29.6% of the population was living in towns or cities, compared with 23.5% in 1999. Urbanization is a strong influence on the market, with 77% of all population growth over the past 10 years occurring in cities.
Livestock production is one of the fastest growing sub-sectors in Vietnam’s agriculture and is projected to account for about 42% of the agricultural yearly turnover by 2020. Based on a recent assessment, agriculture represents about 22% of the national GDP and more than 60% of employment. The livestock sub-sector supplies 27% of agriculture’s share of gross domestic product (about 6% of the total gross domestic product). Out of this, pig production is the most significant contributor—it provides about 71% of the total contribution to national income from all livestock sectors.

Study shows monetary savings in farrowing and weaning units

Farmex, an energy controls specialist based in Reading, United Kingdom, recently released data on the savings that swine farms can accrue by upgrading heating and ventilation controls.
An energy survey conducted by Farmex and UK pig industry group BPEX showed that a typical farrowing house uses 1,500 kWh to 2,500 kWh per pen place annually, while a more efficient unit may use as little as 900 kWh, resulting in possible savings of £52 to £141 per year. The survey also showed that typical weaning pens use 100 kWh to 200 kWh per weaner place a year, compared with efficient ones using 30 kWh, offering savings of between £6 and £15 per weaner place per year.
The Carbon Trust, an independent company set up by the UK government, offers interest-free loans that are designed to pay for themselves through direct energy savings. The trust says that upgrading heating and ventilation controls on livestock farms typically costs £3,000 and saves more than £4,000 and 23 tonnes of CO2 a year.
According to Farmex, the Carbon Trust offers loans of as much as £570 per farrowing pen and £60 per weaner place for energy improvements.