By Pieter van der Merwe, Rock Environmental Consulting (Pty) Ltd.

Environmental legislation has gained the reputation of frequently changing and of becoming somewhat complicated. The challenges South Africa is facing in protecting its environment sustainably are present in all sectors of the South African economy. In the agricultural sector, the pork industry is no exception.  However, working and being involved in this field during the course of the previous 12 years or more, tends to shave off the sharp ends and one tends to simplify or rationalise matters more easily – but with caution. It remains obvious that each proposed development site has its unique environmental setting, characteristics, predictability and unpredictability.
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As die grootste gedeelte van die wêreldbevolking vegetariërs raak, sal dit nie ‘n wesenlike bydrae lewer om die las op die natuurlike hulpbronne te verlig nie. Dr Heinz Meissner, ‘n privaatkonsultant, het kommentaar gelewer op ‘n navorsingstuk wat deur dr Marco Springmann en kollegas van die Oxford Universiteit gepubliseer is oor die uitwerking op menslike gesondheid, sowel as die omgewing, as die meeste mense op aarde hulle dieet sou aanpas van ‘n vleis-gebaseerde dieet na ‘n vegetariese dieet.
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By Dr Andrew Tucker,  CS Vet

What is Eperythrozoonosis?
Eperythrozoonosis is caused by Mycoplasma haemosuis, formerly known as Eperythrozoon suis.  M. Haemosuis locates itself on the membrane of the red blood cell. This causes the red blood cell to become quite fragile and leads to its break down. Continue Reading →

Dr Andrew Tucker, CS Vet

Ascariosis is caused by the roundworm Ascaris suum. This worm has a direct life cycle in pigs starting with ingestion of the egg. The larvae hatch and enter the mucosa in the pig’s caecum. Six hours after being ingested these larvae have already migrated to the pig’s liver where they moult and then move on to the lungs. Here they moult again and are then coughed up and swallowed by the pig. They now move down to the small intestine where they mature and will start to produce eggs which then restart the life cycle. Continue Reading →

By Dr Peter Evans, SAPPO’s health liaison officer

Definitions

Antimicrobial

An antimicrobial is a drug that selectively destroys or inhibits the growth of microorganisms. Sometimes referred to as an “antimicrobial agent”. Examples include antibiotics (also known as antibacterials) antiviral and antifungal agents. Continue Reading →

By Dr Dorothea Mostert, CS Vet

Antibiotic resistance and its link to the levels of antibiotic use in agriculture, especially in pork production, has become a global issue. It is true that worldwide, we are heading into an era where antibiotics will no longer be effective as more and more bacteria can withstand their effects. To what extent intensive protein production is to blame for this almost apocalyptic prospect, is debatable. What is not debatable is our responsibility to do the best we can to slow down the process in every way we can. Continue Reading →