Last week hog producer Fred Olthuis attended a public hearing for a proposed hog barn.
A cattle producer opposed Olthuis’s plan for a hog barn which would be built within 1,000 metres of his house. And he wanted his views known.
“At that distance you can’t even smell anything,” said Olthuis, of Neerlandia in northern Alberta. “They think manure is a toxic substance.”
The perception of hog manure as a deadly chemical is one idea that a new $2.3 million hog industry fund will try to dispel.
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The Canada-Alberta Hog Industry Development Fund was established to help scientists and researchers deal with perceived and real problems associated with hogs.
The federal share of the money comes from what would have been Alberta’s share of the federal safety net program. Money was paid to other provinces earlier through Net Income Stabilization Account payments. The province paid out its share to producers several years ago.
Priorities set
Because the hog industry has come under scrutiny in recent years, the committee established to dole out the money has established priorities: To improve public perceptions of the industry and product; to address environmental issues like manure odor and water; to better meet customer expectations for safety and healthiness in pork.
The Alberta Pork Producers Development Corporation will manage the fund, which is expected to be spent within three years. The deadline for research proposals is Dec. 19.
