The Chair of the Canadian Pork Council, Jurgen Preugschas, and board member Stephen Moffett, appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food as witnesses to the committee’s study on the competitiveness of Canadian agriculture.
Jurgen Preugschas expressed concern that the competitiveness of the hog sector has been severely impacted by the various shocks that have hit it over the past three years. “While we remain optimistic about the long term potential for the Canadian hog sector, it is increasingly difficult to be prepared for and manage the impacts that continue to face the industry.”
Stephen Moffett added that high feed costs, a strong Canadian dollar, low hog prices, the economic crisis reducing access to credit and Country of Origin Labelling “have all conspired to dramatically harm pork producers. And now we’ve been slammed with the negative consumer perceptions around H1N1 Influenza.”
“The recovery of the hog sector will depend on how well the industry and the government react to this extraordinary situation.” stated Jurgen “producers have been responsibly adjusting to market signals as best as they can and now governments need to act.”
The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) is a member-driven, not for profit national producer association committed to Canadian competitiveness in the global market. It is the collective voice of Canada’s hog producers – an effective advocate on a broad range of public policy issues that has a direct impact on Canadian pork production. Through its network of provincial member associations, productive relationships with government departments and agencies, and key international contacts, the CPC responds quickly and effectively to capitalize on opportunities to enhance prosperity for its producers and the industry.
