An Alberta export company has shipped two plane loads of hogs to China and Chile to help diversify its hog operation.
Albert Eringfeld of Polar Genetics Group in Edmonton said selling breeding hogs to international markets is an important marketing tool during tough times for Canadian hog producers.
“It’s one way to diversify the hog operation from a really grim situation,” Eringfeld said.
Polar Genetics worked with its partner Peak Swine Genetics of Leduc, Alta., to organize the shipments of purebred, gilts and boars.
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For China, Polar Genetics created a joint venture company with Heilongjiang Senyu Animal Husbandry Industry Co. Polar Genetics supplied an initial shipment of 628 hogs and the Chinese company supplied the facilities and operating costs, Eringfeld said.
He said Chinese hog genetics are improving, but they’re still a long way from what has been developed in Canada.
“The quality is lacking. It’s getting better, but there’s still lots of room for improvement in swine genetics.”
The Chinese joint venture near Jiamusi City will sell hogs to large Chinese operations with 1,000 to 2,000 sows.
Polar Genetics also sold 275 Yorkshire, Landrace and Duroc gilts and 16 Yorkshire, Landrace and Duroc boars to High Quality Genetic S.A. of Chile last spring.
The first litters from these pigs were born in October and will be used by pig producers in Chile, Argentina and Peru.
Eringfeld said producers will pay a royalty to Polar Genetics from the hogs sold to South America. The Canadian pigs will supply the growing demand for pork in South America.
