Federal government invests $10.6 million in pork industry
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/02/2024 (706 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Manitoba Pork is thrilled that the federal government has awarded more than $10 million in research funding to the industry, the general manager of the organization says.
Canada’s pork industry recently received $10.6 million from Ottawa to support research and technology that will ensure high-quality products find their homes in grocery stores across Canada and the world, the federal government says.
On Feb. 20, federal Minister of National Revenue Marie-Claude Bibeau, on behalf of Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay, announced that the money would go towards the Swine Innovation Porc (SIP) through the federal government’s AgriScience Program in the Clusters Component, a press release sent out that day said.
The component is an initiative under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP), and is intended to bolster the nation’s leading position in the global pork sector by conducting strategic research initiatives. These initiatives will advance sustainability, resilience and growth opportunities, the press release said, and are expected to improve understanding of sector environmental and climate performance and strategies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and environmental impacts.
The research will also focus on stimulating more productivity and better product quality through new insights and technologies, enhancing animal welfare and responding to diseases, advancing the fight against antimicrobial diseases and enhancing the competitiveness of the country’s pork producers and processors.
The funding from the federal government will be matched through contributions by producers from across the country, said Cam Dahl, general manager of Manitoba Pork.
“Manitoba Pork and Manitoba’s pork producers contribute significant dollars each year towards SIP, and we are proud to be a supporter of the national swine-related research being co-ordinated by [it],” said a statement e-mailed to the Sun by Manitoba Pork’s communications co-ordinator Joey Dearborn. “This contribution will support several research initiatives that align with Manitoba Pork research priorities and will help enable Manitoba’s pork producers to increase their productivity and profitability.”
The funding will also help enable producers across Manitoba to increase their productivity and profitability, while making continued advancements in key areas, including environmental sustainability and enhanced animal care practices, Dahl said.
The funding will ensure that Canadian pork producers have the tools they need to continue to be leaders in the agriculture sector, MacAulay said in the release.
“This will create opportunities for innovation so we can meet the growing global demand for our world-renowned Canadian pork,” he said.
Focusing on research in the pork industry will enable producers and processors across the country to improve productivity and quality, Bibeau added.
“The investment announced today will ensure the sector’s competitiveness and the industry’s sustained growth, both nationally and internationally.”
Previous research under SIP has resulted in feeding strategies to increase productivity, decreased antibiotic use and improved pork quality, new methods to advance biosecurity within the Canadian swine transport industry and the creation of a tool to classify Canadian pork based on quality attributes.
“This investment in the fourth Swine Research Cluster will help deliver science-based solutions for the benefit of Canadian pork producers, processors, and exporters,” said Arno Schober, chair of SIP and a pork producer from Ontario. “By mobilizing critical research and building on our scientific capacity, Swine Cluster 4 will position our industry to better address ever-changing consumer preferences, regulatory realities and production potential.”
In 2022, Canada produced 2.3 million tonnes of pork, according to statistics from the federal government. The pork and hog sector generated over $6.5 billion in farm cash receipts that year as well, and pork exports, which represent two-thirds of Canadian pork production, were valued at $4.9 billion, not including the 6.5 million live swine exported throughout the year.
» mleybourne@brandonsun.com
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