Canadian Pig Production Practices Survey for Improved Economic and Environmental Viability Ready for Launch

A multidisciplinary team of Scientists working on behalf of Swine Innovation Porc is set to launch an economic and environmental survey of Canadian pork producers

By Bruce Cochrane – FarmScape Online

The “Canadian Pig Production Practices Survey for Improved Economic and Environmental Viability” will be discussed next week in Winnipeg as part of the 2020 Manitoba Swine Seminar.

Dr. Mario Tenuta, a Professor of Applied Soil Ecology in the University of Manitoba’s Department of Soil Science, explains the survey is designed to validate research that shows North American pork producers have made significant advances in reducing their environmental footprint and to analyse Canadian production systems and their use of resources.

“We want to be very reflective of the regional character of pig production across Canada”

 

“Any province that has a significant amount of pig production will have producers invited to join us in responding to the survey.

“We’re targeting 400 producers across the country.

“We hope that managers of barns or owners will respond.

“We’re looking at independent producers but then we’re also looking at integrated corporate producers as well to join us in being respondents.

“We want to be very reflective of the regional character of pig production across Canada in terms of number of barns and number of animals that are produced in different provinces.

“We don’t want to be biased in terms of independent producers or integrated corporate producers because they may have different efficiencies or resource use.

“We want to make sure that we’re very reflective of production systems in Canada.”

Dr. Tenuta says the background work, which included an examination of the environmental footprint and efficiency of pig production around the world to develop and test the survey, has been completed and it will be rolled out across the country over the next few weeks.

Information on the Canadian Pig Production Practices Survey can be accessed through the links at soilecology.ca.