Commentary: Putting money where foot-and-mouth could be

Apr 13, 2023

Canada’s export-dependent economy has limited opportunities for domestic growth when it comes to agriculture and food.

With 40 million Canadian souls in sight, (we are just 440,000 short), growing our population by one million people last year was a great accomplishment, especially for makers of food or jobs. But as Canada grows its agricultural capacity, the future lies in exports.

Budget 2023, from the same folks who brought you carbon pricing and the greening of the Canadian economy, does address a critical piece of the agriculture vulnerability puzzle for the nation. It includes funding of a foot-and-mouth disease vaccine bank. A single case of the disease would likely strike a $65 billion blow to the economy, so this particular budget item is welcome and will be money well spent.

The nation’s livestock industry has been calling on the government to address the issue of funding for an expanded FMD-infection response plan and a vaccine bank to deal with any outbreak.

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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.