The Alberta Livestock Expo is back at Exhibition Park, with the goal of putting industry stakeholders in touch with one another while showcasing new innovations and technology in the sector.
The vendor’s on-site range in services from feed companies, to veterinary services and livestock equipment.
“Every year I am amazed at how much improvement we have in different fronts, from genetics, from new medicine, from new vaccination for animals,” said Alberta Pork’s Javier Bahamon, adding he’s impressed with how far technological advancements have come.
“We can pretty much measure every single aspect of our products in our smartphones,” he said.
“Those technologies are going to change the world big time. It’s changing our industry right now, actually.”
But despite those positive advancements, producers continue to deal with some tough economic challenges.
Bahamon said while hog prices are up about $13 in the third quarter of 2022 over 2021, production costs are also higher.
“Right now we are obviously still (dealing) with high feed prices, though we are continuing to try to battle that,” Bahamon explained. “We are hoping that the new crop will help on that front, but obviously inflation and other big economical issues that are happening in the world are affecting our producers too.”
With producers adapting their operations along the way.
“Financial sustainability is a key part of this whole puzzle,” said Jeremiah Lechman, with J&R. “What we’re seeing right now is a change in how producers are looking at how they raise their animals.
“Are they interested in bioproducts? Are they looking at different technologies? Whether that be feed systems or even other things such as how they build their diets.”
According to organizers, around 75 exhibitors from Canada and the United States are in attendance for the annual event, which runs Wednesday and Thursday in Lethbridge.