Saskatchewan's Pork Sector Shows Potential

The pork industry in Saskatchewan is growing, today the industry produces about 2.3 million pigs a year.

 

Mark Ferguson is General Manager of Sask Pork and says the economics for the pork sector is looking good.

 

“You know this protein shortage worldwide is going to result in higher prices. Secondly, I mean the past year with the harvest we had, there's significant feed grains available and the prices are a little lower than they've been in recent years. So, I mean that's certainly helpful for the bottom line of hog producers. I think there's lots of tough and wet green out there that still needs to be dried and hog producers can make use of that type of product.”

 

He’s optimistic about the growth in the industry.

 

“We've had a couple of new barns built and populated with hogs and that's very exciting for the industry. I think we're probably going to see some more construction in the New Year which is great. You know, I think there's some very positive indicators that are influencing people’s decisions to build barns.”

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.