Responsiveness to Customer Demand Favors Canadian Pork in Higher Value Export Markets
A U.S. based global livestock market analysist observes the responsiveness of Canadian pork processing plants to customer demands has given them an advantage in the higher value export markets
“What’s next for the Global Pork Market” was discussed earlier this month as part of Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium 2025.
Brett Stuart, the President of Global AgriTrends says, despite the rhetoric, most of agriculture has escaped any impact from Donald Trump’s tariffs, hog farmers are making money today and based on the U.S. hog futures, we should see hog producers profitable right on through to the end of 2026.
“It’s interesting because we all know our prices are very closely correlated.
“Canadian hogs are typically priced off the U.S. market so there’s no big competitive advantage on either side of the border.
“We’re both doing the same things.
“But, if I had to look and say where is Canada more competitive, what have they done differently?
“I would say typically your packing plants up here are not as big and fast as those plants in the U.S. which sometimes makes the costs higher here.
“But, what it does, the Canadian packers and exporters have been very responsive to overseas consumer demand.
“An example would be Japan.
“When it comes to sourcing the right specs for chilled pork loins to Japan, I think your Canadian exporters have been willing to make adjustments, even if it requires some potentially even slowing down a line, or sorting or doing some things different that has brought them success in Japan.
“Whereas in the U.S. we have these big scale plants that are running very quick.
“Everything’s about cost and throughput and so, where we all have the same competitive structure, that’s one way Canada has differentiated.”
Stuart observes the Canada U.S. Mexico agreement, which is coming up for review, has worked well for all three partners and he sees no reason to change.However, he acknowledges, the matter of supply management in the Canadian dairy and poultry sectors could be a factor.
Farmscape is produced on behalf of North America’s pork producers
Our November 2025 Issue
In our November 2025 issue, the DOJ beef sector investigation, McDonald’s becomes farmers big ally, Trump angers U.S. farmers, Canada Mexico agri-food deal, Ontario’s finest butcher, Beef perception shift, Global beef sustainability, and much more!
