Farmscape for April 14, 2008 (Episode 2815) A 50 million dollar program designed to help Canadian pork producers reduce the size of their breeding herds officially kicks off today. Under the new Federal Cull Breeding Swine Program pork producers who agree to empty at least one barn of breeding stock for a minimum of three years are eligible to receive 225 dollars per culled sow, bred gilt or boar. The target is a ten percent reduction in Canada's breeding herd to help reduce an over supply of hogs and improve prices and allow producers an opportunity to exit the industry. Canadian Pork Council President Clare Schlegel says it's a way to help bring supply and demand back into balance. Clip-Clare Schlegel-Canadian Pork Council The program potentially could cover about 10 percent of the Canadian sow herd. We were at 1.54 million sows prior and this would take the number of sows in Canada down below 1.4 million which is between 1.5 and two percent of the Canadian U.S. herd. That should take help to bring supplies back into balance. The program is set up in tranches. It's on an application basis so we encourage producers as soon as possible to submit their application in case the program runs out of money. It will come on a first come first served basis in the first tranche and then there will be a regional element in the second tier of the program. Again a reminder to producers that to be accepted into the program you have to apply and get your application in as soon as possible in case the program is over subscribed. The program is retroactive and will cover culled breeding stock marketed since November 1, 2007 however, as of today, eligible animals may not be marketed through the normal commercial human food chain. Application forms are available through the CPC or the provincial pork organizations. Further information is available through the CPC web site at www.cpc-ccp.com or by calling 1-877-655-2567. For Farmscape.Ca. I'm Bruce Cochrane. *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council |