Manitoba has created a committee to help the province reach its goal of growing its protein sector.

One researcher said a vaccine would be developed and sent to China to inject pigs there where the fever has reportedly killed as much as 65 per cent of its swine herd.

The chairman of Manitoba Pork says it was a difficult year for pork production in the province.

In all of the celebrations, Scott Thompson writes, there has been little metion of the two Michaels still detained in a Chinese jail — Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig.

It is the latest sign of easing tensions before a new round of talks aimed at curbing a bruising trade war.

China on Wednesday announced it will exempt American industrial grease and some other imports from tariff hikes in a trade war with Washington but kept in place penalties on soybeans and other major U.S. exports ahead of negotiations next month.

The Trudeau Liberals are defending a cabinet minister's business promotion trip to China while China has two Canadians — including a business operator — in jail.

The FAO said in a report late Thursday that more than 3.7 million pigs in the region had been culled since the outbreak began in China last August.

The move is likely to fuel speculation that China is retaliating against Canada for arresting a Chinese tech executive.

In the event of an outbreak, the agreement allows the countries to continue trade in various pork products — including meat, live animals and byproducts — within zones that are free of the disease.