Imported pork products

[wilagro]

I see that our local Co-op is selling pork back-ribs this week on sale. I see that they are stamped product of Finland.

Why are we selling these in Canada when many of our own producers have had to shut down in the past few years because of a glut of pork and low hog prices? Now that our producers are getting back into production as the market improves we see these imports competing against our domestic production.

When Stockwell Day was Foreign Trade Minister did his tinkering with some Mini-Free Trade Agreements over in Europe encourage these cheap imports? I understand that he did ink some minor agreements with a handful of countries.

[ajl]

The pork industry in Canada is done like
dinner. After the buyout fiasco we will
never see another hog barn built in
Canada.

[Mufferaw]

Global industry and a high Canadian $. Retailers look at the number of dollars in their pocket. If you look at Costco majority of pork is U.S. origin.

Pork industry in Canada is not dead, nor will it die. Will you see the expansion that we saw in the late 90's? No. Feed is the piece in the cost of production, and feed prices will won't stay at this level for ever. Producer's realize if they don't wildly expand they can be profitable with what they all ready have in production.

[farmaholic]

Someone will bite my head off and crap down my throat for saying this, but; the pork industry should probably be supply managed, simply because of its short "boom and bust" cycle. Breeding hog numbers can be quickly increased leading to an over supply. I would never get into hog production because of it and the instability. Breeding cattle herds grow alot slower.

[grgsrvc]

I will put forth that the pork industry is past the traditional four year cycle and unless you are able too sell
to retail directly there will never again be much money made just owning hogs...

The Integrated giants in the industry own most of the production and don't really care what the hog price is
except that it stays low.

Any how with all the animal rights noise coming up against the industry I wouldn't want to be a small
independent producer trying to reason with the unwashed urbanites anyways. Let Smithfields or Maple Leaf
Foods spin the tales in the coming years.

[grassfarmer]

Yet the demand for premium priced, high quality, more naturally produced pork has never been higher amongst our customers who prefer to buy direct from the grower.

Corporate greed ruins another sector of agriculture.... oops, but you guys don't believe in that kind of communist thinking.

[ASRG]

I think if you have ever tasted pork from this "new/more natural" way of raising hogs, compared to something that comes out of a "factory hog barn", it is very apparent why people don't like pork. When the cooking meat stinks so bad it turns your stomach....not too hard to see why people turn off modern factory farm pork!

[TOM4CWB]

Wilagro
Why dont you talk to your manager and
request Canadian Pork?
Is it too much to ask?

Same goes for salads from 'Fresh
Express' that are Chiquita brand.
We can stop being lazy.

[LEP]

Wilagro when Gainers in North Battleford opened their bacon processing facility in North
Battleford, they often processed pork imported from Denmark. That was years ago.

So there is no boogeyman here.

If you really looked most food in the grocery store is not from Canada. We try to avoid
anything grown in China as a rule.

[ALLFARMER]

Ya I bought a farm for cheap right beside a
monster hog barn. Three years later it's in FCC's
hands and they auction it with 100 open acres for
300k so 200k for a 2.5 mil barn. Cheap buy
hey...o wait what's it good for??? Last 3 years
nothin. My land value tripled.

[ProFarmer]

federated coop will undercut any local. Most of their name brand Harmoney etc. Are relabeled seconds there is no comparision to name brand dole or green giant. Hey we cannot even grow pickles here anymore...all imported from india,sliced fruit all from china,if it prepared for federated co-op ltd you never no where it is made...

[Hopperbin]

Willagro as farm product exporters I believe forienge product should be offered here thank goodness it is labelled. Myself I would not buy it not because I typically don't purchase much pork but because I would only purchase Canadian produced meet. They are selling it at a discount correct?
One would not think Finland would be into selling pork cheap as their country is north of 60. Do their hogs scavenge on Lichen?

[Hopperbin]

I see they import gm feed ingredients not that I think its bad, seems their animal welfare is not great.

Surveillance Works, Says Finland's Food Safety Body
ANALYSIS - The Finnish Food Safety Authority, Evira, says that its surveillance system for animal welfare works, following an investigation prompted by the release of secret filming by animal rights activists two months ago. Jackie Linden, senior editor of ThePigSite, reviews the story.

In its latest investigation, however, Evira did find some cases of neglect on a few farms.

Following the release of the secret filming last month, inspectors found some evidence of problems with feeding and medicating the animals and one farm is under investigation by the police.

In a report in YLE on 19 December, Evira commented that it believes the current surveillance system works, under which farms are bound by a welfare agreement.

The story starts at the end of October, when it was reported that is four pig farm activists could face a court case and damages of €175,000 over secret filming at pig farms in 2009.

In all, the activists had videotaped conditions at 30 pig farms in various parts of Finland. The footage sparked a public outcry and 10 farmers had demanded compensation for mental suffering and production losses.

In mid-November, the activists were cleared of charges related to the filming.

Just a few days later, new films were released showing apparent negligence on pig farms. The videos were again shot in secret by animal rights activists – this time, on 16 farms and shot in October and November this year. The pictures appeared to show pigs in filthy pens, with sick and dead pigs left in with living ones.

Chair of the pig producers’ association, Martin Ylikännö, admitted that the videos show mistreated animals but he criticised the activists' tactics as well as the farmers' practices.

According to YLE, Evira had tightened checks on farms since the 2009 films were releases. Because of the stricter controls, more violations of animal rights standards were found than before, with one-third of those inspected in 2010 in violation of regulations. The majority of inspections were, however, made at farms where officials suspected negligent practices.

Efforts to deal with the problems are also reported to be underway within the pig industry, and slaughterhouses were told by Pirjo Kortesniemi, Managing Director of an animal disease prevention association, to stop buying from farms where problems had been detected.

The activists warned that they would maintain scrutiny of the industry. According to YLE, the activists would like to see the end of meat production altogether.

A month ago, an organisation called 'Justice for Animals' displayed dead piglets by 'The Three Smiths' statue in central Helsinki on Wednesday. The stunt aimed to draw attention to poor conditions at pork farms. Officials quickly clamped down on the activists.


Jackie Linden, Senior Editor

[Hopperbin]

Yikes, sure hope our pork is produced better. Some pics

http://www.sikatehtaat.fi/english

[Hopperbin]

Wow just got that downloaded, as a consumer I am totally turned off by pork now. That would gag a ****ing maggot.