February 28, 2008

Canadian programme to reduce swine herd by 10 percent

The Canadian government's new breeding-swine cull programme announced on Feb. 25, 2008 is expected to reduce Canada's breeding swine inventory by at least 10 percent or roughly 150,000 animals, according to information provided by the Canadian Pork Council.

Martine Rice, executive director of the Canadian Pork Council, said the CAN$50 million government initiative, which will be delivered through the Pork Council, will help the industry restructure.

Rice, however, cautioned that this program has yet to receive Treasury Board authority. It is expected that this will occur shortly.

The breeding-swine cull programme will pay CAN$225 per sow or boar slaughtered to eligible producers. Producers would also be reimbursed for costs of slaughter and carcass disposal based on invoiced receipts;

Under the programme, producers must agree to empty at least one barn, and not to restock that barn for a period of three years. Partial barn reductions are not eligible for the program. A payment of CAN$225 per sow/boar less the selling price will be available for producers that sold animals from Nov. 1, 2007, until the date of the launch of the program, as long as they can provide receipts and agree to keep the barn empty for the three year period;

The programme also stipulated that animals must be slaughtered and disposed of in compliance with environmental requirements and must not enter the human food chain. Instead, they would be rendered for use in pet food or other purposes, or disposed on-farm.

 (US$1=CAN 0.98)