Canada: programme to reduce hog herd by 10%

The initiative is designed to remove 150,000 sows from Canada’s breeding herd and to reduce annual production by about 3 million pigs.

Eligible producers will receive payment per sow or boar slaughtered, but must agree to empty at least one barn without restocking it for at least three years. More details about the programme can be found on the Canadian Pork Council website.

Canada’s announcement comes following a commitment by Smithfield to reduce its sow herd.

Under fire
The Canadians have received criticism from their Australian counterparts.

Andrew Spencer from Australian Pork Limited says the decision is hypocritical, and flies in the face of fair trade.

“The ironic thing about countries giving their producers subisides like these is that those very same countries are the ones who are arguing the strongest in the Productivity Commission inquiry that has been happening for the last couple of months that it wouldn’t be fair for the safeguards to be imposed on pork imports into Australia so I see that as pretty much straight hypocrisy,” he says.

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