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Canadian hog industry rebounding from COOL
Story Date: 6/1/2012
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Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 5/31/12
The number of hogs on farms in Canada as of April 1 is estimated at about 12 million head, up 1.8 percent from the same date a year ago, a sign that the industry is slowly rebounding from U.S. mandatory country-of-origin labeling law, the National Meat Association and North American Meat Processors Association noted in a joint newsletter.
Overall numbers were buoyed by growth in western Canada, which benefitted from the availability of cheaper feed grains last year. Saskatchewan boosted the herd by almost 14 percent, the groups said.
The number of sows on Canadian farms was nearly unchanged at 1.3 million head, according to USDA’s U.S. and Canadian Hogs report, but NMA and NAMP say farmers report improving efficiency.
During the first three months of the year pork plants processed slightly fewer hogs than they did in the same period a year earlier. Eastern Canadian plants received about 1.7 percent fewer, while western Canadian plants received 2.3 percent more, the groups said.
Meanwhile, exports dipped 1 percent in the first quarter compared to first-quarter 2011. Compared to pre-COOL numbers, exports are down about 50 percent, they said.
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