Weather patterns set to shift

Meteorologists are predicting that weather patterns will change from El Niño to La Niña sometime between July and September, bringing a return to colder winters/

While El Niño is characterized by warm, above-average sea-surface temperatures, La Niña is a climate pattern that tends to occur soon after El Niño and brings on opposite, cold effects.

Weather events that cause changes in sea temperatures can have widespread impacts, which is why meteorologists closely monitor them. 

In the case of La Niña, greater precipitation and winds may lead to rain storms, or even hurricanes.

La Niñas tend to cause more agricultural and drought damage to the United States than El Niños and neutral conditions, according to a 1999 study. That study found that La Niñas in general cause $2.2 billion to $6.5 billion in damage to U.S. agriculture.

In Canada, La Niña tends to be linked to winter weather that includes above average precipitation in British Columbia, colder-than-normal temperatures in the Prairies and more rain and snow than average in Ontario and Quebec, said Environment Canada the last cycle around.

Pork board issues PDCoV alert

 

The Ontario Pork marketing board has issued an alert to members to take stiffer biosecurity precautions because the risk of Porcine Deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PED) infections has increased. 

It is also warning that Senacavirus A has been identified at a private assembly yard and at a related sow barn and nursery barn in Quebec and virus elimination plans are underway. 

In an advisory to members, the board said “active cases of PDCOV and PED have risen sharply in Ontario. All producers and their business partners visiting the farm are strongly encouraged to increase biosecurity vigilance, particularly as we approach planting season where risk of transmission through manure movement is increased.

“Report all potential cases to your veterinarian as soon as possible.”

It is also reminding transporters of proper disease prevention protocols.

Pigs need a clean ride, it said.

Genetic stock is the highest priority, weanling and feeder pigs are the next highest priority. 

The barns you load out from must be protected and the barns receiving these pigs need them to come in clean.

Dirty places are DIRTY places. Cull assembly yards are the highest risk to any trailer. All processing plants are also high risk. Any shavings or manure present at the end of a loading chute at any location should be assumed to carry disease. 

Know what pigs were on your trailer. If you have been hauling shedding pigs (e.g. pigs from known outbreak herds or cull pigs from assembly yards), these trailers are covered with infectious virus. These trailers must have a very detailed wash, disinfect and dry.

Transportation also includes the tractor. Detailing the power unit is very important. Cases have been found where the trailer was clean and the virus came from a contaminated power unit. 

Wash your wash bay. If contaminated trailers are washed, the result is often a contaminated wash bay. You can reduce contamination of your wash bay by scraping known positive trailers offsite at a designated spot, then soaking the trailer prior to washing with a disinfectant such as Synergize or Prevail.

Food inflation remains high

 

The price of food purchased from stores cost about three per cent more this March than a year ago, slightly higher than the overall rate of inflation which rose by 2.9 per cent, Statistics Canada reported.

The overall inflation rate inched up from 2.8 per cent in February because gasoline and housing costs increased.

Statistics Canada also reported percentage changes from a year earlier in December, showing prices paid farmers, food processors and for transportation were all down, but supermarkets hiked their markups by seven per cent.

Dog is infected with HPAI

 

A dog in Oshawa was infected with highly-pathogenic avian influenza, reports the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The dog had been chewing on an infected dead goose.

France uses vaccine against avian flu

 

France has vaccinated more than 26 million farmed ducks as its strategy to defeat highly-pathogenic avian influenza that claimed about 10 million birds. About 21 million have received a second dose.

Canada and the United States are relying on euthanizing flocks that experience an outbreak and imposing quarantine zones designed to keep the virus from spreading. The virus has so far claimed 11 million birds in Canada, most as result of proactive culling.

France said its strategy is showing signs of success. 

France reported 315 HPAI outbreaks in the 2022-2023 season, but confirmed just 10 cases since last fall, just before the vaccination program for commercial ducks launched in October.

Swierenga wins award

Henry Swierenga is this year’s winner of the Farm & Food Care Ontario Champion Award. 

left to right:  Past chair and board member Bruce Christie presents the 2024 Food & Farming Champion Award to winner Henry Swierenga, alongside Agriculture Minister Lisa Thompson and board chairman Crispin Colvin. 

The award was established in 1999 to recognize an individual or group’s significant commitment to public outreach and support for Ontario’s farming community.

Swierenga, who was nominated by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and his local Niagara Federation of Agriculture, has been a stalwart volunteer with both federations, particularly working with youth including production of two award-winning children’s agriculture videos.

He participated in Breakfast on the Farm, Lincoln County Fair and Niagara Agriculture Days.

Ontario Agriculture Minister Lisa Thompson said “Henry shines a light on how Ontario’s agriculture and food industry continues to grow, meeting both domestic and global market demand, while promoting the very best of rural communities.”

Former colleague Joanne Fuller said, “We are so lucky to have Henry’s passion, knowledge and experience still advocating for Ontario farmers, which makes him a perfect recipient for the Champion award.”

                           

 

Province seeks power to over-rule conservation authorities

 

The Ontario Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry is seeking power to over-rule conservation authority decisions on development permits.

The changes are posted on the government’s regulations website.

While it begins by saying the minister can over-rule a decision to grant a permit, it goes on to say the minister is required to satisfy the same criteria concerning natural hazards and public safety, such as the risk of flooding.

But in the final paragraph it would grant the minister unlimited power to make decisions on permit applications.

It says “The Minister may refuse the permit or issue a permit subject to such conditions as the Minister determines are appropriate.”