The AgriPost
September 30, 2022
Topigs Norsvin Opens Innova Canada
At the grand opening guests explored the Verijken Pro Dromi free-farrowing system in the farrowing barn.
By Harry Siemens On September 21, Topigs Norsvin officially opened its new nucleus farm Innova Canada which cost about $30 million, near Plumas, MB. The company said the new facility Innova Canada is an important step in developing Topigs Norsvin as a global genetics supplier. The new nucleus farm is part of a bigger plan to upgrade and expand the nucleus capacity in Canada. Innova Canada is the largest investment in Topigs Norsvin’s history, leading to increased genetic progress worldwide.
Innova Canada will contribute to further accelerating genetic progress in the Z-line, one of the lines that form the basis of the TN70 sow. Canadian sales manager John Sawatzky said swine genetics is what the company Topigs Norsvin does. While based in the Netherlands and Norway they do business in more than 50 countries worldwide. The new 1,600 Sow Z-line nucleus at Plumas becomes the genetic nucleus to further genetic improvements to the breed, accelerating the genetic progress with a large volume
of pigs. This is in addition to the Delta Canada unit at Woodlands, MB opened in 2018 strictly as a boar-testing and CT-scanning facility. From here, the best boars get shipped worldwide or to local AI stations in Canada, the US, and worldwide. It takes about five years before the farmer sees the benefit of such a new facility. However, Topigs Norsvin celebrated 100 years in this business last February stemming from the original breeders back in the Netherlands who started a very intensive testing program.
Photo by Harry Siemens
Sawatzky said as the genetics improve they show up in the tube of semen the farmer buys to make his replacement females on the farm. And getting better means more prolificacy, better females, raising more pigs per sow, increasing the efficiency by reducing the feed consumption they feed to grow to slaughter weight, to go to market. It also reduces the feed intake and the manure produced from these barns to reduce our carbon footprint. Continued on Page 2...
Tax Relief for Prairie Livestock Producers Facing the Impacts of Extreme Weather Canadian farmers are directly impacted by climate change and its effects can be detrimental to sustaining operations. To provide assurance for producers as they make difficult herd management decisions, the Livestock Tax Deferral has been authorized for 2022 due to extreme weather conditions has been announced for designated regions including parts of Manitoba. The Livestock Tax Deferral provision allows livestock producers who are forced to sell a significant amount of their breeding herd due to drought or flooding to defer a portion of their income from sales until the following tax year. The income may be at least partially offset by the cost of reacquiring breeding animals, thereby reducing the potential tax burden associated with the original sale. Under the Livestock Tax Deferral, to defer income, the breeding herd must have been reduced by at least 15%. Eligible regions have been identified based on weather, climate and production data, in consultation with industry and provinces. The criteria for identifying regions for Livestock Tax Deferral includes forage shortfalls of 50 per cent or more caused by drought or excess moisture. The Government of Canada will continue to monitor conditions across the country to determine whether the addition of other regions throughout the year are required. In addition to the Livestock Tax Deferral provision, producers have access to a comprehensive suite of Business Risk Management (BRM) programs to help them manage significant risks that threaten the viability of their farm and are beyond their capacity to manage. BRM programs are often the first line of support for producers facing disasters and farmers are encouraged to make use of these programs to protect their farming operations.