Jeff Heuchert
Staff Reporter

In 25 years in the pork industry, Johanne Groenestege says she’s never seen things this bad.

But despite the ongoing challenges faced by hog farmers, organizers of last week’s Ontario Pork Congress, held at the Rotary Complex in Stratford, say there was another strong turnout of producers and industry representatives for the 36th annual showcase, which was appropriately themed, Swine Survivors.

“(The event went) probably as well as can be expected considering the circumstances the hog industry finds itself in,” commented Groenestege, event president, last week after the Congress wrapped up.

She said this year’s event was scaled back to reflect the state of the industry and how it’s affected local operations. Dropped from this year’s schedule were the kick-off gala, traditionally held at the Arden Park Hotel, and video dance.

“We just thought, under the circumstances, it might not be appropriate this year,” she added, noting that tickets for the events, in particular the gala, were not cheap.

This year’s event included the junior barrow competition, featured speakers, trade show, the weekend warrior barbecue and hog jog, which raised money for the Lung Association.

Groenestege was a featured speaker at last year’s event, and says the speech she gave then, stressing the need for program changes and more government spending to counter dropping livestock prices, is sadly just as relevant today.

“(Last year) we were hopeful that there was going to be a turnaround,” she says, “(but this year) there’s no optimism at all ... we were trying to keep it upbeat but there isn’t any.”

Groenestege says the diminishing return for hog farmers can be attributed to several factors, including rising feed prices, the H1N1 virus (previously referred to as the swine flu),  a stronger Canadian dollar and mandatory country of origin labeling in the United States.

“It’s basically a trade barrier, an excuse to stop our pigs from going over there,” she says of the US program.

She adds that many farmers also over produced, but notes that the total slaughter has since come down in Ontario.

She says many producers she spoke with at last week’s event are not sure what to do. “A lot of people have scaled back their operations or are in the process, if they’re older, of just not having pigs anymore,” she adds.

One highlight from this year’s Congress was the junior barrow competition, held June 6, which drew 68 participants, “almost double what we’ve gotten in previous years,” notes Groenestege.

“There still is interest in the hog industry,” she adds, noting though, that keeping young farmers involved in the industry will become increasingly difficult if the same challenges persist. She adds that the total number of people involved in the industry has been dropping in recent years.

"You’ve got to make some money at it. You can’t encourage your son or daughter to go into the business if there’s no future in it,” she adds.

“(These farmers) are feeding the world and thinking about having to go to the food bank.”

As for the $800 million being asked for from the federal government by the Canadian Pork Council, Groenestege says it’s likely not enough in the long run, but it would be good start for local farmers, equating to about $30 a pig.

She adds that the industry as a whole must continue to adapt if it hopes thrive in Canada, but that without government support there will be fewer and fewer producers in the area.

“You hate to be complaining, but one of these days there’ll be no one growing pigs around here,” she adds.