October 17, 2006

Canada's Quebec province hit by Circovirus

The Porcine Circovirus disease has killed 270,000 pigs in Quebec since last year, according to the president of the Quebec Pork Producers Federation, Claude Corbeil, adding that it has hit crisis proportions.

This would have been 8 percent of all swine produced in Quebec, and have cost the industry US$23.7 million. Corbeil is appealing for US$13.1 million for pork farmers.

Besides the circovirus problem, the pork industry is also struggling with a stronger Canadian dollar which is weakening exports.

Olymel, the province's biggest pork producer, announced last month it is looking for ways for the industry to get out of its current doldrums. To shore up confidence and enhance cooperation in the industry, it has hired former Premier Lucien Bouchard to conduct a review of the industry to come up with a collective response to the situation.