Federal government invests in swine innovation to boost Canadian pork sector

The federal government is investing up to $10.6 million in the Swine Innovation Porc (SIP) through the AgriScience Program – Clusters Component, an initiative under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership to support and strengthen the pork sector.

The Cluster seeks to enhance Canada’s position in the global pork sector by conducting strategic research initiatives that will advance sustainability, resilience and growth opportunities. Research activities are expected to:

• improve understanding of sector environmental and climate performance and strategies to reduce GHGs and environmental impacts;
• stimulate greater productivity and product quality through new insights and technologies;
• enhance animal welfare and respond to diseases;
• advance the fight against antimicrobial resistance; and
• enhance the competitiveness of Canadian pork producers and processors.

SIP has already delivered three Swine Clusters. Successes of the previous Clusters include feeding strategies to increase productivity, decreased antibiotic use and improved pork quality, new methods to advance biosecurity within the Canadian swine transport industry, and a tool to classify Canadian pork based on quality attributes.

In addition to the Swine Cluster, Marie-Claude Bibeau, national revenue minister, on behalf of Lawrence MacAulay, agriculture and agri-food minister, also announced $1 million through the Greening Government Fund (GGF) to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to replace the ventilation system and controls at the Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre’s swine barn with heat recovery fans capable of higher efficiency.

The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat provides funding for projects under GGF, a component of the Greening Government Strategy, which outlines targets to reduce the GHG emissions from federal operations. AAFC has also received $835,000 from GGF to replace the current oil-based heating system in the Normandin Research Farm’s main building with a pellet biomass heating system to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

“Focusing on research in the pork industry will enable our producers and processors across the country to improve productivity and quality. The investment announced today will ensure the sector’s competitiveness and the industry’s sustained growth, both nationally and internationally,” said Bibeau.