The planned closure of the Lacombe Research and Development Centre places Canadian research programing at risk.

In January, as part of a broader federal mandate to reduce the size of the public service, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced the imminent closure of several research facilities.

Dr. Stuart Smyth, a Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Saskatchewan says limiting federal government swine research capability to a single location puts swine research at risk and jeopardizes the global competitiveness of Canadian pork.

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A panel of producers, veterinarians and researchers is now reviewing 42 submissions received in response to a January call for research proposals to enhance the response to H5N1 Influenza.

SHIC Associate Director Dr. Lisa Becton says H5N1 is an Influenza A virus normally associated with avian species but, since 2024, that virus has been found in dairy cattle, sheep and goats and in October 2024 the infection was identified in backyard swine.