Modern hog barns cost a lot of money to build, but the real obstacle for producers is determination, says Prairie Swine Centre director John Patience.
“Are we prepared to do what it takes to build a larger pig industry in Western Canada,” Patience asked farmers and ranchers at the Lloydminster Cattlemen’s Corral held Jan. 20-21.
“There’s only one reason why the Netherlands has a major pig industry. That’s will. They wanted it. It’s sure not natural advantages.”
Patience outlined the opportunity he saw for more prairie pig production.
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Canada produces a small percentage of the world’s pigs, but has a substantial share of the world export market.
The opportunity lies in turning the Prairies’ natural advantages – huge amounts of cheap feed grains, lots of space, low pig densities – against competitors who have fewer advantages.
But even though the Prairies are ideally situated for more hog production, it doesn’t have to happen, Patience said.
Denmark and the Netherlands built their industry after World War Two because they wanted to make sure they had enough food and wouldn’t have to rely so heavily on imports, said Patience.
The willpower they applied included large, long-term government subsidies for the pork industry.
Patience said the prairie industry does not want government subsidies, and does not want governments to drive hog herd expansion.
On the Canadian Prairies, the willpower should come from farmers and rural people, he said.
“We want the grassroots to be doing it,” he said.
That includes hog farmers who decide to expand their operations and farmers who join together to invest in new hog operations.
It also includes packers like Intercontinental, Schneider and Maple Leaf. Patience said the packers have already shown their will to create a large pig industry by investing in large new facilities.
It’s now up to rural people, he said.
