WINNIPEG (Staff) – When the hog industry in Alberta invited a group of 25 hog farmers from a producers’ association in Taiwan to tour the province, Ed Schultz said he pictured them coming in spring.
“Our concept was to bring them over when it’s green and beautiful,” said the general manager of Alberta Pork Producers. “Their answer was, ‘No, we want to … see your technology for raising hogs in cold weather.’ “
The group is looking at the Prairies as well as Australia and Vietnam as possible locations for expanding their industry. In late February, they spent a day in Manitoba and Saskatchewan before visiting Alberta for three days.
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Lasby Lowes of Manitoba Agriculture, said he’s heard the group is looking at establishing several 1,000-sow farrow-to-finish operations on the Prairies. He said while some want to invest in local operations or be part of a joint ventures, others want to move here.
In Manitoba, the Taiwan group met with feed companies and other private groups to learn about the industry.
A different group of Taiwanese investors toured Saskatchewan twice last year.
Canadian producers shouldn’t be worried about competition from new large-scale operations.
“It would be a vote of confidence in our industry,” Schultz said. “They wouldn’t be facing hostility. I think they’d be facing open arms … it would mean that (the industry is) going to grow.”
