The announcement that the Federal Government will be providing the Canadian pork industry with a three tiered aid program was hailed today as a positive step by the President of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities. David Marit said, “The Saskatchewan hog industry is in trouble and badly needs the programs which were announced on the weekend. The hog industry is not only suffering the effects of a high Canadian dollar but also declining sales because of a perceived connection to the H1N1 scare.”
The Federal Government announced its hog industry support program on the weekend. The three tiered program will provide $17 million dollars for market development; $75 million dollars for a transition program which will encourage producers to cease production for at least three years in an attempt to address oversupply; and government-backed long term loans will be provided to allow viable hog operations to restructure their businesses.
President Marit says, “The hog industry is vital to Saskatchewan agriculture. The failure of the hog industry in Saskatchewan would have a ripple effect where a portion of the feed grains market would also collapse. A healthy hog industry benefits all producers in our province, not just hog producers.”
For more information contact:
David Marit Ken Engel
President Executive Director
(306) 476-7754 (306) 757-3578
“SARM, the Voice of Rural Saskatchewan”
