The federal government has announced its plans to help hog
farmers weather their worst financial crisis in decades, and there’s no new
money or programs.
After striking a hog industry task force and holding
meetings for more than a month, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz is simply
pointing to existing programs and inviting hog farmers to tap into that money.
That includes AgriInvest accounts, where hog farmers have
$31 million available, interim payments from AgriStability and cash advances of
up to $400,000 per farm.
In addition to the crippling-high feed costs that impact all
hog farmers across North America, Canadians face additional price-depressing
pressure from the United States’ Country-of-Origin Labeling regulations and a
Canadian dollar that’s above par with the United States.
Jean-Guy Vincent, chairman of the Canadian Pork Council,
said “the work of the Hog Industry Task Team will continue as it explores ways
to increase sector competitiveness in the mid to long term.”
The federal government and the Canadian Pork Council are
wary of government subsidies that could trigger a severe reaction from U.S.
producers who have, in the past, several times persuaded the U.S. government to
impose crippling countervailing duties.
The damage to Canadian hog farmers was done before those countervailing
duties were overturned.
