Sow cull program problematic say producers

Friday, April 11, 2008

by GEOFF DALE

“I think the value they’ve placed on the sow isn’t high enough to encourage enough people to join,” said Salford, Ontario producer John DeBruyn. “It’s going to take a little more money to ask people to leave with dignity.

DeBruyn added that he had nothing against the program. “It sends the right message to the industry and our trading partners that we need to reduce our herd here but the figure should be doubled to ask the producers to step aside for at least three years.”

Delivered by the Canadian Pork Council and intended to assist the struggling industry restructure by reducing the country’s swine breeding herd by about 10 per cent, the program offers qualifying producers $225 per breeding swine culled after April 14.

Participation also requires producers to agree to depopulate an entire breeding barn and commit to not house breeding stock in that structure for three years.

Jasper Vanderbas, an Oxford County producer who sits on the Ontario Pork Producers Marketing board, said the program may be suitable for older producers considering leaving the industry but it does little for others in it for the long haul – especially the matter of leaving the barn empty for three years.

“In our climate if you do that and don’t heat the structure for that period, you’re not likely to be left with much of a barn at the end,” he said. He also observed that the the program was announced in a less-than-elegant way, “regarding the fact they were going to compost these sows.”

Price structure was also of concern to Oxford County Federation of Agriculture President John VanDorp, who noted that he’s heard from many producers that if $500 were offered there might be more interest in the program. “But right now, the $225 total is barely above what a fair-sized culled sow would go for through normal channels. So why would you want to settle for this and tie up your barn for three years?”

Moreover, rendering groups have raised concern group over the logistics of getting rid of that many animals, he said.

VanDorp noted the industry is “cyclical by nature” and there is optimism it will rebound “quite quickly.” He pointed out that long range numbers are going up as far as future prices are concerned, so many are thinking about at that scenario.

“Personally I don’t see this program having much impact,” he said. BF