A new collaboration between the Manitoba Invasive Swine Eradication Project, Manitoba Pork, and Farm Health Guardian provides another easy way to report wild pig sightings. Wild pig sightings can now be easily collected and automatically reported to Squeal on Pigs using the free Farm Health Guardian app.
Squeal on Pigs MB was launched earlier this year through the Manitoba Invasive Swine Eradication Project, a partnership between the Government of Canada, Province of Manitoba, and Manitoba Pork, to get a better understanding of the wild pig population in the province, and to concentrate eradication efforts in the right areas. Increased wild pig sightings are causing concern in the North American swine industry, including in Manitoba. It is suspected that the wild pig population in the province is growing, which is a real risk to agriculture because they can be very destructive to crops and are a potential reservoir for federally reportable diseases like African Swine Fever (ASF). Given the serious disease threat that wild pigs pose to farm raised pigs, producers and others in the industry are being asked to report sightings immediately.
“The Farm Health Guardian app is an innovative example of how the agriculture sector can work together to collect valuable information on wild pig movement,” said the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “Capturing wild pig sightings quickly will help mitigate the risk and threat of African Swine Fever and the destruction of crops across Manitoba.”
“The support of Farm Health Guardian and its technology will further improve the Squeal on Pigs initiative and Manitoba Invasive Swine Eradication Project by providing quicker and more direct and efficient reporting of locations and movements of invasive pigs,” said Manitoba Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson. “Wild pigs have the potential to cause serious harm to our province’s swine industry, and rapid communication is crucial for delivering effective responses to control them.”
“Our province is at an ecological and environmental crossroads when it comes to dealing with the threat of wild pigs,” said Dr. Wayne Lees, project coordinator, Manitoba Invasive Swine Eradication Project. “We are pleased to partner with Farm Health Guardian to establish a new avenue to report wild pig sightings which allows us to better target our eradication efforts.”
“Knowing where and how many pigs there are is the first and most important step before the monitoring and control actions that follow,” explains Rob Hannam, CEO of Farm Health Guardian, an animal health and biosecurity management software system. “Manitoba users of the Farm Health Guardian system opt in to share reported sightings with Squeal on Pigs. This provides an additional tool for gathering information to help target control efforts. We’re pleased to collaborate with Manitoba Pork to strengthen efforts in protecting the swine sector. After all, everyone shares a responsibility to protect our industry against threats like (ASF) African Swine Fever”.
The Manitoba Invasive Swine Eradication Project was announced in January 2022 as a partnership between the Government of Canada, the Province of Manitoba, and Manitoba Pork, through funding from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. Squeal on Pigs is designed to help spread awareness of the significant issue of invasive wild pigs on our landscape, and to empower Manitobans with the ability to spot wild pigs on the landscape and report their movement.
Movements can now be reported via squealonpigsmb.org or toll-free at 1-833-SPOT-PIG (1-833-776-8744).
