The Chair of Manitoba Pork says addressing animal disease risks and ensuring fair returns to hog producers are the organization’s priority issues heading into 2021.
Key issues confronting Manitoba’s pork producers in 2020 included dramatic market disruptions caused as the result of COVID-19, heightened attention to the spread of African Swine Fever in Asia and Europe and changes in export patterns as the result of friction with China.
George Matheson, the Chair of Manitoba Pork, says, as the organization undergoes some significant changes over the next few months, matters related to animal health and profitability will top the agenda.
Keeping disease out of the province, off our farms, of late that’s been our number one priority. We still have work to do in making sure that producers get a fair financial return for their hog production.
Our conversations with the processors are not completed yet but they’ve been good listeners so far. We’ve had great meetings with them and they’ve provided us some assistance so far. Those two issues I would say are number one and two for the upcoming year.
A couple of things a lot of people don’t know is, Andrew Dickson, our General Manager, he will be retiring after 16 years with Manitoba Pork Council at the end of January and I, as Chair of the Board, I’ll be retiring at the AGM on April 14, 2021 after six years so there’ll be a couple of major changes at Manitoba Pork.
The General Manager and Chair, those will be new people in those positions and there’ll be a couple of new board members. Change is always good. We have a replacement for Andrew already. It can’t be publicly announced but that’s in place so we’re hoping for a smooth transition.
~ George Matheson, Manitoba Pork
Matheson says issues related to trade and public education and outreach are also on the radar moving into 2021.
