Steinbach-area hog producer Rick Bergmann will become the new chair of the Canadian Pork Council in the coming days after it was announced that current Chair Jean-Guy Vincent will be stepping down.
Bergmann is currently serving as the organization's vice-chair.
Vincent, who has served as chair for the past three years, was appointed to join the national board in 2004 and has held many positions over the past decade.
He published this statement in a news release Friday:
"My term as CPC’s Chairman has come to a close. I believe it is prudent to take a moment to reflect on the past in order to focus on 2015 and the future. First, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each one of my colleagues for allowing me to serve as your Chairman for the past three years. It has been my honour and pleasure to work on behalf of producers from coast to coast and to work with you to further strengthen and grow the pork industry.
Trade agreements remain a key priority for our industry and the implementation on January 1 of the Canada-Korea FTA as well as the finalization of the Canada-European Union economic and trade agreement will benefit our industry moving forward. US Country of Origin Labelling, however, continues to cost the industry time and money as the U.S. prolongs the WTO dispute by its most recent appeal.
While our industry relies on exports for over 70% percent of our production, a number of the more significant markets are unstable. Russia is an important customer but the repeated interruptions in this market makes us vulnerable. Our industry will have to overcome future market disruptions and challenges but in the near term we must focus efforts to increase market share in stable markets such as Japan, Korea and other emerging markets in Asia.
Maintaining our industry’s health status is vital and key to market access. An excellent health status begins at the farm level by implementing and following a strong biosecurity plan. Fortunately, industry leaders around the CPC table have developed the tools and knowledge to limit the spread of a virus and prevent its introduction into a barn. As we have seen with the rapid spread of PEDv in the United States, the financial consequences can be devastating. National and provincial organizations have their own responsibility in disease management and a co-ordination through the CPC will serve our membership well by increased efficiency and elimination of unnecessary duplication.
The Canadian pork industry is recognized throughout the world as providing consumers a safe and nutritious quality product. The world class Canadian pork brand is the result of producers’ efforts and the flexibility of our industry to adapt to consumer demands.
The CPC has been very proactive by setting standards that guarantee a production adapted to international markets. Biosecurity standards at the farm, CQA and animal care programs and traceability reassure our customers around the world and differentiate our product. I believe strongly that the pork sector has the tools to be prosperous, increase market access and take advantage of growing demand.
I wish every success to the members of the new Board of Directors. They have skills to represent the producers and to make the right decisions. It is a great responsibility but they have the knowledge and the ability to do so.
The Canadian Pork Council serves as the national voice for hog producers in Canada. A federation of nine provincial pork industry associations, our organization's purpose is to play a leadership role in achieving and maintaining a dynamic and prosperous Canadian pork sector."