The battle against PED presents the Ontario hog industry with an opportunity.

That’s according to Ontario Pork Chair Amy Cronin.

She says there’s a chance now to begin work on a long-term health strategy for the sector, building on the work that’s being done now to deal with PED.

Cronin is convinced that long-term strategy will require a buy in from producers and other parts of the value chain, including vets, transporters and processors.

She says she’s already seeing that kind of collaboration now to fight the spread of PED.

Cronin argues the healthier the animals are, the better it is for everyone connected to the Ontario pork industry.

Cronin says things they’ve discovered with PED should help them work towards increasing the overall health of the Ontario herd.

Cronin says any such strategy will need to be a collaboration.

She thinks that collaboration is possible based on the way the industry has responded to the PED virus.