Farmscape for November 16, 2006  (Episode 2306)

The Canadian Pork Industry expects to release the completed version of its Pork Greenhouse Gas Project Builder by March.

The Pork Greenhouse Gas Project Builder is a software package which allows the swine producer to calculate his operation's greenhouse gas emissions and determine the number of offset credits that will be generated by adopting certain technologies or production practices.

The latest version is being test driven through a series of producer workshops which will be making stops in Winnipeg, Edmonton and Saskatoon over the next couple of weeks.

Canadian Pork Council Environmental Programs Coordinator Cedric MacLeod says there are markets all over the place that are looking for carbon offsets but the challenge has been to come up with a cohesive set of science based calculations that reflect what is happening within the Canadian industry.

Clip-Cedric MacLeod-Canadian Pork Council 

We developed a software program that includes all the algorithms and all the calculations that are encompassed within the protocol that helps the hog producer quantify his greenhouse gas emissions.

We're actually getting some greenhouse gas output numbers from our calculator.

What it then allows us to do is analyze current production and compare that to what would have been the case in 2001.

The difference between that 2001 baseline year and current production is the greenhouse gas emissions reductions that have been achieved.

This is an exciting time for us.

We've worked hard at engaging producers in this debate over carbon management in the ag sector and I think there's opportunity.

It's a modest opportunity for pork producers but it's a few thousand bucks in the pocket for a moderate sized operator and in tight times it's a couple of thousand bucks for improved environmental management is hard to argue with.

MacLeod expects the completed version to be ready for distribution by March if not earlier.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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