The Canadian hog industry, supported by packers and exporters, is appealing to the federal government to help an industry in crisis.
Agriculture minister Chuck Strahl says he hears the cries for help, but any policies developed must be much broader and permanent than a financial aid package.
“We’re working with the industry, trying to address both short and long-term measures,” he said. “My concern is if you hit a perfect storm as the industry has and the storm’s bad enough, you might have a long-term plan, but the concern is are you going to have people pull through to get to the long term?”
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Clare Schlegel, president of the Canadian Pork Council, said issues as diverse as a high Canadian dollar, soaring feed prices, labour shortages and inspection fees are making the industry uncompetitive.
“For the first time in many years, we are seeing hog production and hog processing decreasing in Canada while it increases in the U.S.,” he said. “There is no simple solution that will fix this.”
A George Morris Centre report on the industry estimates that Canadian producers have costs that are $5 to $10 per hog higher than in the United States.
However, a recent industry letter to government ministers and a report proposing solutions did not even suggest special financial aid.
Strahl said the existing programs may funnel significant funds into the sector this year, without special Band-Aid packages.
