Farmscape for April 21, 2011   (Episode 3563)

Canada Pork International says recapturing lost opportunities within the domestic market will be a key focus of domestic pork promotion efforts over the next few years.

As exports of Canadian pork have grown, domestic consumption has declined while increased pork imports from the U.S. have further eroded the domestic market.

Michael Young, the director of technical programs and marketing services with Canada Pork International, notes our population is getting older and there are fewer traditional Canadians in the mix as we see more new Canadians coming from other parts of the world.

Clip-Michael Young-Canada Pork International:
Over the last few years we've exported over 60 percent of our production.

That kind of performance has given us a position of third largest pork exporter in the world behind the U.S. and the EU.

Meanwhile back at home over the past few years we've seen a reduction in domestic consumption and we've also seen a change in imported pork from the U.S.

We've seen a reduction of total consumption to just under 24 kilos per person.

We're seeing about 20 percent of that supply now coming from another country so the domestic market essentially is shrinking so a part of the strategy is how can we grow business for Canadian pork.

Pork is very popular around the world, it's in fact the most popular meat in the world by a long shot actually.

We have an opportunity now to look at some alternative methods for merchandising, for preparing the meat, for presenting the meat that would be attractive to some of these new Canadians but also fit the changing lifestyles of some of our traditional Canadians.

House wives are looking for lean, nutritious, fast but healthy food and pork fills that gap quite nicely in many countries around the world.

Young suggests the market is under-developed in that area in Canada and promotion efforts will be focusing on that over the next few years.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council