Thoughts Worth Repeating from the 2023 Leman Swine Conference
From porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) to pork productivity in difficult times, the conversations that took place at the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference in St. Paul, Minn., this week covered a wide expanse of topics weighing on the industry’s mind. Here are a few things that are worth repeating.
“Biosecurity is more than just controlling what is coming into a herd – don’t forget what is coming out.”
-Karine Talbot of HyLife Ltd., in “The Role of Biosecurity in Controlling PEDV”
“When PEDV was first introduced in 2014, there was nearly an industry wide panic of significant baby piglet losses and market disruption…While the actual percentage of piglet losses were eventually proven to be small, the impact to the economics of the industry came at a time when export and domestic demand both peaked... I believe this false sense of market recovery has allowed some to accept an endemic disease problem, which we have the tools to eliminate.”
-Bill Hollis of Carthage Veterinary Services in “The Cost of PEDV to US Pork Producers and the Benefits of Eliminating the Virus”
“We need to keep biosecurity up-to-speed with expanded understanding of transmission pathways.”
-Kim VanderWaal, University of Minnesota, in “Chasing a Moving Target: Rapid Evolution and Spread of PRRSV in the U.S.”
“To be effective, biosecurity control measures must address the significant biosecurity hazards. To know what to do, the first step is to identify the problem.”
-Derald Holtkamp, Iowa State University, in “A Standardized Outbreak Investigation Instrument: A New Tool to Make Sustainable Progress on Biosecurity”
“PEDV occurrence in breeding herds remains low. Biosecurity is helping keep this virus out. Industry is doing a great job of keeping the virus out from your herds and rapidly eliminating the virus from breeding herds.”
-Cesar Corzo of the University of Minnesota in “PED In North America: How Widespread is it?”
“Here’s a message we need to share more with our international trading partners: Pork production provides honorable, important work as part of a food system feeding and nourishing the world and connecting people and cultures through the enjoyment of food.”
-Randy Spronk in “Opportunities in the Export Market”
“We need to change the narrative and talk about what is great about rural veterinary practice and livestock practice.”
-Chris Richards at Apiam Animal Health in “Sustainable Veterinary Medicine – Tackling the Challenges of a Dynamic Industry”
“There is still a significant impact on the sow herds that are affected, and costs associated with cleaning up, stabilizing and going on to elimination. Herds that have chosen to live with the disease still have significant cost in keeping herds positive in ongoing monitoring and the effect on gilts that are exposed in new outbreaks that occur in the system because there is still active virus present. I believe we have the knowledge, diagnostics and abilities to accomplish elimination not only from herds but the entire industry.”
-Paul Yeske of Swine Vet Center in “How Can We Eliminate PEDV from Infected Farms?”
“There’s nothing glamorous about the work we do but there’s nothing more noble.”
-Todd Marotz, Wakefield PORK, in “Productivity with Applied Impact”
“It can be frustrating when there is not a clear smoking gun, but opportunity areas exist. Information from outbreak investigations can aid in decision-making. Keep the goal in mind: How can we get better?”
-Katie Coleman of Iowa Select Farms in “Utilizing Outbreak Investigations to Improve Biosecurity in a System”
“Collaboration and information sharing is key to success.”
-Jenelle Hamblin of Manitoba Pork in “The Path to PED Elimination in Manitoba”
“If you want to improve biosecurity compliance, make sure employees know why they are being asked to do something.”
-Jean-Pierre Vaillancourt of the University of Montreal in “Improving Biosecurity Through Bob Morrison’s Legacy”
