Swine Extension

Reprinted as posted on Swine in Minnesota blog January 31, 2025 The Bob Morrison’s Swine Health Monitoring Project team took a look at Senecavirus A incidence in the U.S. over the past decade. Key points: Senecavirus A (SVA) incidence in U.S. breeding herds was estimated using diagnostic and outbreak data to characterize disease patterns. From 2015 to 2024, the yearly SVA incidence in U.S. breeding herds ranged from 0.09% to 1.93%, peaking in 2023. SVA outbreaks primarily occur in the Midwest, peaking in the third and fourth quarters annually. Read the full report on Senecavirus A incidence.

Source: National Pork Board, Des Moines, IA PQA version 6 is set to launch this coming June. With that, all current PQA Advisors need to re-certify in version 6 to maintain their PQA Advisor status by August 31 (regardless of when certified in version 5). Watch your email for any emails from your PQA Trainers in Minnesota and the National Pork Board for directions to re-certify. Be sure to log into the Pork Checkoff website to update your contact information if you have had any changes since the last time you updated your info. This will ensure you get the announcement emails from your PQA Trainers in Minnesota and the National Pork Board.

University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine Center for Animal Health and Food Safety has created informational sheets about the sick pig Veterinary Diagnostic Lab’s (VDL) surveillance program to help producers and veterinarians understand what it is and how they can participate. There are two versions of the informational sheets - one is aimed towards the intensive commercial swine industry , while the other is aimed more at non-swine veterinarians and general audiences .

The Ag Business Management team is hosting a webinar to help Minnesota employers stay up to date on critical labor law changes. Minnesota Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) Pay range and benefits disclosure in job postings Amendments to pregnancy accommodations and parental leave laws Employee vs. contract labor classification Minimum wage updates Workers’ compensation insurance requirements Compliance for Form I-9 and Form W-4 This is a must-attend session for business owners, HR professionals and employers to ensure compliance with the latest labor law updates. Date: March 19 Time: 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. (Central Time) Location: online webinar Register ahead of time for the Minnesota labor law update to secure your spot! For questions, please contact Rob Holcomb at holcombr@umn.edu . We look forward to your participation!

Source: National Pork Board, Des Moines, IA Multigenerational Farm Transition Retreats are available for Minnesota farmers considering farm transition or succession plans. The University of Minnesota Extension offers the retreats in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Southern Agriculture Center for Excellence. Attendees will be guided through hands-on planning and discussion on farm transition for the whole farm family. The next available retreat will be Friday, March 21 - Saturday, March 22 in Rochester. The retreats are free to attend. Visit the University of Minnesota Extension event page for more information and to register .

Congratulations to Lee Johnston, UMN Extension swine specialist and professor in the Department of Animal Science, for receiving the 2025 Distinguished Service Award from Minnesota Pork. As stated in the 2025 Minnesota Pork Congress magazine, “Lee Johnston’s unwavering commitment to agriculture, advancing research, and mentoring future leaders has earned him the Minnesota Pork Distinguished Service Award.” The Distinguished Service Award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the pork industry. Read the entire article that was featured in the 2025 Minnesota Pork Congress magazine.

By Diane DeWitte, UMN Extension swine educator Originally printed in The LAND - as January 31, 2025 Swine & U column This winter of 2024-2025 has already provided a wide array of thrills and chills! This week predicts temps in the 30s and two weeks ago it was -20 degrees! Our snowfall has been minimal, but we are always watching skyward. Keeping the driveways clear, the water flowing, the power & heat on, and the pigs safe and fed is a daily challenge during Minnesota’s winters. Our friends at the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety & Health (UMASH) center offer this discussion about the dangers of cold weather outside work. WORKING OUTDOORS Cold temperatures pose serious threats to a person’s health, leading to frostbite, hypothermia, or trench foot, which occurs when the feet have been exposed to water for too long. Symptoms of hypothermia may include lack of coordination, confusion, slurring, drowsiness, or slowed breathing. Signs of frostbite and trench foot include ski...

Mark your calendars for the 2025 Allen D. Leman Swine Conference. When: September 20 - 23 Where: RiverCentre, St. Paul, MN The Allen D. Leman Swine Conference is an annual educational event for the global swine industry. It is internationally acclaimed for bringing science-driven solutions to the complex challenges facing the industry. Did you miss the 2024 conference or want to revisit your favorite presentation? Presentations given at the 2024 Leman Conference are now available on the conference Google Site !

A few in-person Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA+) and Transport Quality Assurance (TQA) certification sessions are scheduled for 2025. The sessions include the following dates and locations: June 10 : Le Center, MN - Le Sueur County Fairgrounds 4-H Building, 320 S Plut Ave July 15 : Olivia, MN - Renville County Government Center, 105 S 5th Street Nov. 11 : Mankato, MN - Minnesota Pork Office, 151 Saint Andrews Court, Suite 810PQA+ certification is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon and TQA from 1 to 4 p.m. at all locations unless noted otherwise. If you need to renew your PQA+ or TQA certification and a date listed above does not accommodate your schedule, or if your farm has a large group of employees needing certification, please contact Colleen Carey at the Minnesota Pork Board office at 507-345-8814 or colleen@mnpork.com to schedule an alternative time for training. University of Minnesota Extension provides classes in partnership with the Minnesota Pork Board. PQA+ and TQA certificat...

Congratulations to the following swine faculty and educators from the swine Extension team who have had their work published recently. Dong, S., Zhang, N., Wang, J. H., Cao, Y., Johnston, L. J. , Ma, Y. X. (2025). Effects of Medium- and Short-Chain Fatty Acids on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Gut Microbiota and Immune Function in Weaned Piglets . Animals , 15(1) Article 37, doi: 10.3390/ani15010037. Hsu, CH., Montenegro, M., Miclat-Sonaco, R., Torremorell, M. , & Perez, A. M. (2024). Validation of the effectiveness of pig farm repopulation protocol following African swine fever outbreaks in the Philippines. Frontiers in Veterinary Science , 11(Article 1468906). Doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1468906. Schwartz, M., Snow, C., Torremorell, M. , Rendahl, A., Pieters, M. (2025). Detection of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus type 2 in air emissions from grow-finish barns. V eterinary Record. Early Access Aricle, doi: 10.1002/vetr.5127.

March March 19: Minnesota Labor Law Updates webinar March 21 - 22: Multigenerational Farm Transition Retreat for Minnesota farm families , Rochester, MN April April 2: SowBridge program - “Your farm broke with PRRS/PED: now what, what are the vets doing?” May May 7: SowBridge program - “Overcoming barriers and understanding the psychological impact of pig euthanasia” May 28: SowBridge program - “Iron status of sows: Impacts on farrowing duration.” June June 10: PQA+ & TQA certification, LeCenter, MN July July 2: SowBridge program - “How to manage gilts not cycling.” July 15: PQA+ & TQA certification, Olivia, MN