September 30, 2011

Canada's swine exporters appreciate fee extension

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) fees for endorsing export certificates will stay at the same level for another two years, and this announcement is welcomed by Canadian swine exporters.

Jurgen Preugschas, President of the Canadian Pork Council (CPC) said that the announcement by the Federal Minister of Agriculture, Gerry Ritz will be well received by weanling and feeder pig producers that deliver a healthy and quality product to a competitive market in the US and around the world.

As part of the industry's ongoing efforts to remain competitive in the global market, CFIA's fees were identified as needing to be competitive with other jurisdictions, technological advances and reflective of the true cost of offering the service to producers. Without this extension, the cost to Canadian producers would return to an outdated fee structure that would range between CAD$300-375 (US$289-361) depending on the number of animals being transported per load. In 2010, almost four million feeder swine weighing below 50 kilogrammes were exported to about 30 different US states.

The CPC serves as the national voice for hog producers in Canada. A federation of nine provincial pork industry associations, our organization's purpose is to play a leadership role in achieving and maintaining a dynamic and prosperous Canadian pork sector.