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Canadian Pork Helps Sustain The Economy

By Kevin Grier

Livestock farmers such as hog producers are also constantly assessing market conditions and future prospects.

At the same time, they are working tirelessly on many other fronts such as environmental sustainability, animal welfare and food safety. In each of these fronts, Canada’s hog farmers have been diligent and successful.

Canada is one of the leading exporters in the world of high-quality pork products. The pork industry is vital to the country, especially the top pork-producing provinces, Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec. It impacts many lives — not just the end consumers, but also those who make a living through the entire pork supply chain.

“The pork industry plays a key role in sustaining the Canadian economy and the global population”

The numbers tell the story.

In 2015, the economic activity of all Ontario hog farms and farm suppliers, including grain farmers, animal health professionals, and machinery, totalled $3.5 billion. The overall economic activity generated by Ontario pork processors amounted to $3.6 billion. Ontario hog farms and pork processors were responsible for paying about $750 million in federal, provincial, and municipal taxes in 2015.

What do the numbers for all of Canada look like? In 2015, the Canadian hog farms sector created 69,000 jobs. When the processing sector is included, the jobs amount to 91,000. The wages, salaries, benefits, and other income paid to the hog farms, processors, and suppliers in 2015 totalled $7.2 billion; the federal, provincial, and municipal taxes collected from the industry that same year was $1.8 billion.

Canada is the seventh largest global producer of pork and the third largest exporter of pork products, with $3.4 billion exported in 2016. As a country that ranks 28th in the world in terms of population size; this is an impressive number and proves how important the industry is, not only to Canada, but also to the rest of the world. Pork is one of the most consumed meat products, and the demand for pork is continuing to grow internationally.

The pork industry plays a key role in sustaining the Canadian economy and the global population. It contributes heavily to the financial security of many hardworking and dedicated industry professionals.

When you bite into your bacon, pork pot stickers or glazed ham, have confidence that you’re eating the best of the best. Our farmers know what they’re doing, and they do it well.

Kevin Grier is an agriculture and food market analyst who provides consulting services to private companies, producer groups, financial service organizations and governments on economic research and market analysis.

Article courtesy of The Hamilton Spectator

Source:  Meatbusiness


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