Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Wednesday's Pork Meeting - Dire Situation

Here is a report on last night's meeting in Stratford - from AM920 CKNX in Wingham.


There were some dire predictions at a pork industry meeting in Stratford.

Over 500 stakeholders gathered last night to learn more about restructuring, debt mediation and transition strategy options for struggling pork producers.

Perth County Pork Producers Association President, Mike Bosch says he is skeptical of the recently announced Federal loan and the "Hog Farm Transition" programs.

He says he's not sure it's enough money to do anything.

Bosch says there are a lot of pork producers in trouble and he wouldn't be surprised if at least 50 per cent of them run out of money to operate by the end of the calendar year.

He adds the main goal of last night's "Canadian Pork Industry in Crisis - Are You Ready" event in Stratford was to give producers the information and tools they need to help determine their future.

Views: 83

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Wayne Black on September 10, 2009 at 1:27am
Given that there is only $75 million (+-) for restructuring, $17 million for research and marketing (which is okay for marketing), and unknown for loans - it will definitely be insufficient.
Farmgate sales for the pork sector in Huron- Perth region in 2006 was over $290 million - representing almost a quarter of the total farmgate sales of ALL the main commodities.
Huron, Perth, and Oxford Cty produce the bulk of pork in Ontario (on a per county basis), and the claim in the industry is $40 per market hog in losses - the three counties will lose in excess of $66 million in the second and third quarters of 2009. I realize the actual hog numbers are most likely lower today than in 2006, but the point is that the losses in this region is, and will be, substantial due to the infrastructure surrounding the pork sector - feed mills, trucking, parts and equipment suppliers, hog assembly yards...
So really - when you spread the $75 million and the $17 million across CANADA - how much of an impact will it really have?
May 16, 2006 census for Nursery & Market hogs on farm
Huron - 639,842; Perth - 598,260; Oxford - 424691

Wayne
Permalink Reply by pigsrgr8 on September 11, 2009 at 6:43am
I was not able to make the meeting the other night....not sure what the right path is for pork production in Ontario.
I wish the government could help but it is hard to count on that....markets need to correct but it is looking like that is going to take too long.

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

$15.1M to Scale Whole-Cut Plant-Based Protein

A $15.1 million investment led by Protein Industries Canada will scale a breakthrough manufacturing platform for whole-cut protein alternatives, strengthening Canada’s food system and creating new value for Canadian-grown crops.

Syngenta Canada names Matt Legg as head of professional solutions

Syngenta Professional Solutions North America and Syngenta Canada have named Matt Legg as head of Syngenta Professional Solutions (SPS), Canada, effective June 1, 2026. In his new role, Legg will lead the Canadian SPS business and be responsible for driving strategy, customer success, and portfolio growth across the Canadian market. "Matt is a customer-focused, solutions-oriented leader with deep technical expertise and a genuine passion for the professional solutions industry," says Dave Ravel, Head, Professional Solutions, North America. "His ability to connect technical knowledge, market insight, and commercial priorities has consistently delivered meaningful value for our customers. Matt's strong industry background and proven leadership make him exceptionally well positioned to guide our Canadian SPS business into its next chapter." Legg brings more than 25 years of experience in the turf industry, including five years of dedicated SPS experience with Syngenta, to this leadershi

Ag Canada Bumps New-Crop Canola Ending Stocks Estimate Higher

Agriculture Canada has raised its 2026-27 canola ending stocks forecast from last month, although the outlook is still tight overall. In updated monthly supply-demand estimates released late Thursday afternoon, new-crop canola ending stocks were pegged at 1.319 million tonnes, up from the April estimate of 1.064 million but still well below the slightly downwardly revised 2025-26 ending stocks of 2.72 million. Even with this month’s increase, projected 2026-27 canola ending stocks would still be the lowest in 10 years, Ag Canada said. The higher new-crop canola ending stocks estimate is due to a 300,000-tonne reduction in this month’s export forecast, which falls to 7.5 million tonnes. The 2026-27 canola crush forecast of 13 million tonnes was left unchanged from April but remains a new record high. In its accompanying commentary, Ag Canada did note that seeding of the 2026 canola crop is off to a slow start in some parts of Western Canada due to cold and wet conditions, but i

Seeding progress made, despite mixed precipitation

Seeding is muddling along as 29 per cent of the provincial crop has been planted so far, according to the latest crop report from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. While it's up from 16 per cent last week, it's really behind the five year average of 55 per cent and the ten year average of 52 per cent. Crop Extension Specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture Davidson Ugheoke says farmers in the south made the bulk of progress with the southwest at 55 per cent complete and the southeast at 41 per cent complete. The west-central region is at 30 per cent, the northwest 16 per cent, the east-central at 11 per cent and the northeast is still lagging behind at just three per cent complete. "A couple of my colleagues drove around the province, (and) you could see some action in some places, so by this time next week, I think we should have significant numbers up." said Ugheoke. A weather system last week brought strong winds and mixed precipitation through the province, with som

U.S. flour consumption continues long slump

Flour consumption continues its decades-long slide in the United States, according to a new report. Per capita wheat flour consumption fell to 126.6 pounds in 2025, continuing a trend that started around the turn of the century, according to the Wheat Sector at a Glance report produced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. That is well below the 146.4 lb. of wheat flour consumed per person in 2000. That is not great news for Canadian farmers. The U.S. was Canada’s fourth largest wheat market from 2021-25 , accounting for an average of seven per cent of sales. Jane DeMarchi, president of the North American Miller’s Association, said there are several reasons why consumption has tumbled. It began with the widespread adoption of low-carbohydrate diets, such as the Atkin’s Diet. The rise of the gluten-free movement exacerbated the problem. There was a brief reprieve from the downward trend during COVID-19, when people started eating comfort food at home

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service