Avian influenza cases confirmed in western Quebec

Jan 17, 2024

The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been detected in western Quebec, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says.

Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar, president of the CFIA, says a primary control zone for the disease, also known as bird flu, has been declared in an area around Saint-André-Avellin, Que., about 80 kilometres northeast of Ottawa.

Mayor Jean-René Carrière said he was unavailable for an interview Monday, saying only that the provincial agriculture ministry confirms a farm in the area has been affected.

Commercial or non-commercial poultry are “capable of being infected or contaminated by the disease. Anyone with birds must practice good biosecurity habits to protect poultry and prevent disease," says Kochhar.

Click here to see more...

Video: Season 7, Episode 1: Managing Risk and Seeing Opportunities in U.S. Pork Production

Today’s episode features three guests discussing the similarities and differences between pork production in the United States and Brazil, along with strategies for managing risk in today’s industry while recognizing and acting on opportunities. First, Dr. Anne Caroline de Lara, executive manager of live pig production at Seara Alimentos, a JBS company in Brazil, is joined by Dr. Matthew Turner, head of operations for JBS Live Pork. Together, they discuss how labor, climate and ventilation challenges vary between Brazil and the United States, while underscoring their shared commitment to raising healthy pigs. They also point to lessons producers in both countries can take from one another’s systems and on-farm experiences. Then, Brady Reicks, risk manager at Reicks View Farms, shares his perspective on risk management, drawing from his background in markets and his transition into farming. He discusses how protecting margins varies by operation and offers practical approaches producers can use to make marketing and business decisions with greater confidence rather than hesitation.

Both conversations were recorded at recent industry events focused on swine livability, including the International Conference on Pig Livability and Iowa Swine Day.