As the crisis in the Hog Industry worsens, a lot of producers are considering getting out of the business. President of the Canadian Pork Council, Clare Schlegel says there is a lot of interest in a 50 million dollar federal Cull Breeding Swine Program that began last Monday. The program will pay farmers 225 dollars per head to cull their breeding herds and empty their barns for three years. Schlegel says with the high value of the Canadian Dollar, high price for feed and low prices for Hogs many producers want out and this government program is the chance for them to exit the business. He says the high dollar means U.S. pork is cheaper and a lot of that is flooding the Canadian Market, hurting local producers. Schlegel says the cull should reduce the hog population in Canada by about 10 per cent and hopefully that will help drive up the price of pork. He also would like to see better labeling of meat so Canadians know they are supporting local farmers when they buy pork and not product from the U.S. Schlegel says with the industry in such dire straits, this restructuring initiative is a good place to start on the road to a healthier competitive Canadian swine industry.
