New CPC chair highlights pork sector priorities

ASF and communication will be important

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

The new chairman of the Canadian Pork Council has identified priority issues for the country’s pork sector.

Strengthening the sector, addressing animal health and program development are especially important at this time, said Rene Roy, who became the new chairman of the Canadian Pork Council during the Banff Pork Expo in January.

“One major work that we have to do is to make sure that we build an economic sector that is viable both on the revenue and the cost of production side,” he told Farmscape. “Our producers are often challenged, not only on their cost of production but sometimes also on the revenue side, the price of their pork.”

Animal health issues are also challenging the sector.

Between African swine fever and other illnesses, work must be done to keep swine herds healthy.

“We had PED and (porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome) that were and are still challenges for our industry. We have the threat of ASF,” Roy said. “These diseases must be kept away and controlled when they are inside.”

Roy and the new board are working on these and other issues.

They’re engaged in “ongoing work on the plans related to the potential response and recovery plan for an ASF disaster in Canada, as well as the CPC’s effort to draft and implement a new strategic plan in 2023,” a CPC statement says.