The company plans to produce 300,000 more crate-free pigs by the end of 2018
By Diego Flammini
News Reporter
Farms.com
A Quebec-based producer of largely organic and certified humane pork sees a day where all of its pork is organic.
duBreton invested $30 million in 2015 to reach a goal of raising 300,000 more crate-free pigs by 2018. The organization would like all of its pork to be organic one day but understands that’s a project for the future, said Vincent Breton, president of duBreton.
“The dream is to become 100 per cent organic,” Breton told Farms.com today. “But it’s a long road to get there. We don’t know if the (consumer) market will follow or if we’ll have the capacity to get there, but that’s the ultimate dream.”
duBreton currently processes about 20,000 head per week. And its organic pork accounts for 40 to 50 per cent of the company’s total annual production, Breton said.
Changing consumer tastes aren’t the only hurdles facing duBreton in its goals for its organic pork.
The company also understands there are financial implications when working with independent farmers.
“The challenge is more on the financial side and start-up costs that we need to help the producer with,” Breton said. “The model, in terms of production, is well established and we know the farms need to be located in remote areas. We just need to deploy the infrastructure, but it takes time and a lot of passion.”
And duBreton is using this week to educate consumers about organic production and practices.
National Organic Week runs until Sept. 24 and duBreton is a sponsor of the Canada Organic Trade Association.
The partnership between duBreton and the organic group is based on dispelling any myths about organic production.
“We want to help and educate the consumer about what organic is and its benefits to the consumer and the (agricultural) industry.”