Nooooo! Pork production threatened - bacon supply in danger

[vaskidmark]

http://www.myfoxny.com/story/22806986/pig-virus-migrates-to-us-threatens-pork-prices

Posted:  Jul 10, 2013 1:59 PM CDT Updated:  Jul 10, 2013 2:59 PM CDT 
 By STEVEN K. PAULSON
Associated Press
DENVER (AP) - Pork prices may be on the rise in the next few months because of a new virus that has migrated to the U.S, killing piglets in 15 states at an alarming rate in facilities where it has been reported.

Dr. Nick Striegel (STREE'-gel), assistant state veterinarian for the Colorado Department of Agriculture, said Wednesday the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus, also known as PED, was thought to exist only in Europe and China, but Colorado and 14 other states began reporting the virus in April, and officials confirmed its presence in May. The virus causes severe diarrhea, vomiting and severe dehydration in pigs, and can be fatal.

"It has been devastating for those producers where it has been diagnosed. It affects nursing pigs, and in some places, there has been 100 percent mortality," he said.

Striegel said the disease is not harmful to humans, and there is no evidence it affects pork products.

He said outbreaks are not required to be reported to federal officials, so the extent of the spread is difficult to determine, but in Colorado at least two large production facilities have seen outbreaks.

The virus has been confirmed in about 200 hog facilities in 14 other states including Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota, according to the American Association of Swine Veterinarians.

Dr. Lisa Becton, director of swine health information and research for the National Pork Board, an industry trade group, said the impact on the availability of pork and meat prices is difficult to estimate.

"At this point, I really don't have any indications what that potential impact would be. Obviously, we know for individual farms the impact is severe, especially if it's a sow farm that has baby pigs, because baby pigs do suffer the most from the disease," she said.

No more baby pigs means those little piggies are not going to be growing up to go to market where they will be bought and lovingly turned into bacon.

There are not enough words to describe the sad I haz.

stay safe.

[lee n. field]

Get your bacon from Walmart.  Everything there comes from China anyway.  You don't what to know how it was made.

[HankB]

Get your bacon from Walmart.  Everything there comes from China anyway.  You don't what to know how it was made.

Given the dwindling numbers of dissidents China admits to these days, I wonder if there's any truth to the rumors they're making bacon from long pig?


 

[MechAg94]

http://www.myfoxny.com/story/22806986/pig-virus-migrates-to-us-threatens-pork-prices

No more baby pigs means those little piggies are not going to be growing up to go to market where they will be bought and lovingly turned into bacon.

There are not enough words to describe the sad I haz.

stay safe.

Maybe it will just kill the one that went weeee, weee, weee all the way home. 

[RoadKingLarry]

From what I understand this is so far mostly a factory farm problem. I hope it stays that way.
At least I have 2 freezers full of pork.

[Devonai]

Call in the CDC!  Set up those big decontamination tents and mobile labs!  Do SOMETHING!

[TechMan]

From what I understand this is so far mostly a factory farm problem. I hope it stays that way.
At least I have 2 freezers full of pork.

So what is your address, you know so I can deliver some fruit baskets and stuff... 

[RoadKingLarry]

So what is your address, you know so I can deliver some fruit baskets and stuff... 

I'll PM you my 911 address

[MrsSmith]

We should buy stock in Larry's pigs. 

[RoadKingLarry]

I only keep them during the fall and winter. I'll buy 2 feeders the end of September or so and feed them out till they hit 300# or there abouts. But I did put in my order with "the factory" yesterday morning.

[Frank Castle]

Would this virus work on wild pigs ? Maybe this could cut off or slow down the wild pig invasion.

[MrsSmith]

I only keep them during the fall and winter. I'll buy 2 feeders the end of September or so and feed them out till they hit 300# or there abouts. But I did put in my order with "the factory" yesterday morning.

Wouldn't it be cheaper to breed them yourself?

[RoadKingLarry]

I've done that dance before. My property isn't conducive to serious production, too hilly below the house/yard area. Actual breeding of course would require maintaining at least 1 sow and pimping her out at least once a year for the boar's contribution to the operation. That all requires an investment in infrastructure and a year round commitment to the livestock I'm not willing to make. Much easier and cheaper for me to buy 2 feeder gilts in the fall, raise them through the winter and have them butcherd in the late spring.

[MrsSmith]

Makes sense. Especially seeing as how I'm not the one who has to do all that work. 

[sumpnz]

Sadly, pigs are the one livestock animal banned by my HOA.

[RoadKingLarry]

I wouldn't live somewhere I couldn't raise a pig.