Canadian pork producers and processors are attempting to raise the fortunes of a sagging industry.
Pork Marketing Canada was launched Sept. 26 as a partnership between producers, packers, processors, retailers and food service businesses to encourage Canadians to try pork again, said Roy Kruze, new manager of the organization based in Calgary.
With hog prices in a slump and fewer people eating pork, the new initiative is designed to develop new pork products and national advertising campaigns, and provide consistent information about cooking and nutrition.
Until now, many campaigns have been handled at the provincial level supported with producer levies. The group hopes to follow the beef industry’s approach where it finds outside money for research and product development.
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Each of the provinces may continue their initiatives but some funding will be pooled to develop a website and a national nutrition campaign to turn around a slumping market.
Alberta already employs a food service specialist, chef, dietitian and marketers and started sharing a promotion and nutrition program with Ontario. Pork Marketing Canada will take this model across the country to spread consistent consumer messages.
“The younger generation today is not interested in consuming pork. Although this is not new to us, it is very concerning,” Kruze said.
The pork industry has been in the doldrums for four years with part of the problem linked to BSE and its effect on the domestic beef industry.
“Most Canadians jumped on the bandwagon and said, ‘we’ll support the beef industry,’ so that was at the expense of pork, fish and even poultry,” Kruze said.
