Canadian hog producers can apply for compensation under an extended Cull Breeding Swine Program as of May 7, 2009. Funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and delivered by the Canadian Pork Council, the program has been revised to include breeding swine culled between August 1, 2007 and October 31, 2007. This is in addition to breeding swine covered under the original program which included culls from November 1, 2007 to November 30, 2008.
“The Cull Breeding Swine Program was originally designed to help the industry restructure by facilitating the reduction of Canada’s swine breeding herd (sows, boars and pregnant gilts) by approximately 10 per cent,” says Jurgen Preugschas, President of the Canadian Pork Council. “Following the implementation of the original program, statistics on the national breeding herd indicated that the cull actually began as early as August 1, 2007. The extended program supports those producers who downsized their herds due to difficult economic times prior to the period covered in the original program.”
Qualifying producers will be paid $225.00 per breeding swine culled over the period from August 1, 2007 to November 30, 2008, adjusted for proceeds from sales made through regular commercial channels between August 1, 2007 and April 13, 2008, the launch date of the original program. Breeding swine sold after April 13, 2008 where the pork was sent for human consumption are not eligible for the program.
Producers who shipped breeding swine for rendering during the period may also recover eligible slaughter and disposal costs. On-farm culls during the period may also be eligible if they were witnessed by a qualified person and complied with environmental and humane treatment conditions.
“This Government continues to work with Canadian pork producers to make sure they can weather this global economic storm,” said Minister Ritz. “Some pork producers made tough business decisions to reduce their herds before this program started. We’re changing the program to make sure those producers get the support they deserve.”
To participate in the program, approved producers must have depopulated an entire breeding barn or barns and not have housed and commit not to house swine breeding stock in the same barn(s) for three years following the cull.
Applications for the Extended Cull Breeding Swine Program (and all required supporting documents) will be available as of May 7, 2009 on the Canadian Pork Council website at www.cpc-ccp.com. Applications must be postmarked no later than midnight June 30, 2009 and received by the program administrator no later than July 7, 2009. Producers can also contact their provincial pork producer association for copies of the application. A toll free number at 1-877-655-2567 will be staffed to answer producer questions about the application process.
