declare

Traveller fined for undeclared pork

ABOVE: A Spanish man’s visa has been cancelled after he failed to declare pork and cheese in his luggage. Photo: AAP A Spanish traveller was the first person fined under beefed-up biosecurity laws after he failed to declare meat and cheese in his luggage. The 20-year-old man’s visa was cancelled, and he was fined $3300…

piglets

Positive human contact can alter piglets behaviour

ABOVE: Early life contact with humans can play a substantial role in shaping piglets’ behavioural and physiological responses to stress. An experiment undertaken by collaborative researchers from the University of Melbourne, Rivalea and the University of Queensland – entitled ‘Positive human contact and housing systems impact the responses of piglets to various stressors’ – provided…

feral pig

Data informs feral pig management

ABOVE: Photo: J Oostrom, supplied by the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions In early December, the final stakeholder forum for 2022 of the National Feral Pig Action Plan addressed the theme of ‘The power of data to inform feral pig management strategies’. Feral pig management is difficult, expensive and time consuming. Unfortunately, no single technique…

piglets

Give piglets the iron they need

ABOVE: Piglets are commonly born with low iron reserves. Photo: Kameron Kincade Most producers understand that iron is an essential nutrient for all livestock, vital for producing the proteins that enable red blood cells to carry oxygen around the body and facilitate normal growth. Yet piglets in particular are commonly born with low iron reserves.…

rise

No room for high rise down here

ABOVE: High-rise hog house horror in China. A Concerned almost distraught member of ‘United Poignant Porcines’ alerted me recently to the news that a 26-storey ‘pig tower’ had not only been built in China, but had admitted its first ‘prisoners’, with some 3700 sows already interned. Easily the biggest single-building pig farm in the world,…

stockyard

Dresden expands through Stockyard Industries

ABOVE: Stockyard Industries supplied and installed 168 freedom-style mating stalls with lifting back gates, plus a Big Dutchman automatic feedline and six-tonne silo. Victorian-based producer Grant Kelly and his family have been involved in the pig industry for over 50 years, providing them with an understanding of how important it is to have high quality…

pigs

From snout to tail – what to know about pig welfare

ABOVE: Pig enjoy muddy wallows, which they use to help regulate their body temperature in warmer weather and protect themselves from sunburn, flies and external parasites. Photo: Crispin Jones Curious and clever, pigs are certainly remarkable animals. Many Australians appear to agree, taking an interest in pig welfare by choosing to look for higher welfare…

heat stress

APRIL seasonal infertility and heat stress webinar

ABOVE: There are many parameters to determine the impact of heat stress. For example, feed and water intake, panting score and feed conversion rate. Photo: Phytobiotics With the 2022-23 summer approaching, a timely webinar on heat stress and seasonal infertility was held by Australasian Pork Research Institute Ltd on October 19 to review current research…

Bacon

Return of Bacon and Bourbon

Bacon can elevate any dish, but pair the crispy salty goodness with bourbon, as Sean’s Kitchen has, and you’re onto a real winner. The SkyCity eatery has made a name for itself with its feasting festivals and now, the annual Bacon and Bourbon celebration is back. Bacon and Bourbon will feature a mouth-watering menu showcasing…

Aussie Pumps

Aussie Pumps here to help

With the unprecedented rainfall continuing, communities across Australia are repeatedly facing the heartbreaking challenges that floods deliver. The team at Aussie Pumps understands that pain and reacts fast during natural disasters to help save people and properties. Aussie Pumps division manager Brad Farrugia said, “Our production team have shifted into high gear to build more…

African Swine Fever

African swine fever in wild pigs in Asia and Pacific region

Above:Global ASF Overview – The SowBridge series (July 2022). Presented by Vincent der Beek, Pig Progress. Magenta indicates ASF occurrence 2007-2022 (65). Green indicates eliminated ASF after 2007 (2). In September, the World Organisation for Animal Health Regional Representation for Asia and the Pacific released the report ‘African swine fever in wild pigs in the…

global food security

World hungry for food security solution

The complex issue of global food security can only be solved if all nations work together, a University of NSW expert has said. Food security may have come more into the spotlight recently in the wake of issues related to COVID-19, rising inflation, extreme weather events and regionalised conflicts, however it has been on the…