Hog Production in Canada

With revenues amounting to over three billion Canadian dollars (see Table 3), the pork sector accounts for 30% of total livestock shipments and for 10% of all farm cash receipts.

Hog production is a vital component of Canada's agricultural economy. Each province shares in this production in quality and in volume (see Table 1). Canada is favoured with adequate grain production allowing for selective, controlled feeding and with reasonable feed costs.

Virtually all commercial hog production in Canada takes place in a controlled environment which implies that, at all times of the year, animals are kept in buildings specialized to the farrowing, growing and finishing stages of raising market hogs. The most common hog production unit today is a specialized farrow-to-finish operation of 200 to 250 sows, which can be managed efficiently by a single family.

Farrow-to-finish reduces significantly productivity losses associated with stress of movement, adaptation to new environments, changing feed regimes and transmission of diseases. Also, producers can monitor the performance of animals through to maturity, thereby observing final results of breeding programs and other management practices.

Healthy quality breeding stock is the cornerstone of our hog industry. A strong infrastructure is in place and working in Canada to co-ordinate the ongoing program of swine improvement. In 1984, Canada introduced a sow productivity and management system and for the last three years, our sow productivity improved 11 % compared to other leading hog producing countries recording increases of 1% to 2%.

	Table 1 ORIGIN OF HOGS SLAUGHTERED IN CANADIAN PACKING PLANTS 2010
	Hogs
British Columbia	499,317
Alberta	2,662,056
Saskatchewan	33,830
Manitoba	5,322,321
Ontario	4,432,312
Québec	8,107,901
Atlantic Provinces	52,425
Total	21,110,162

(Source: Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Provincial Governments)

Atlantic Provinces include New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland

	Table 2 NUMBER OF PIGS ON CANADIAN FARMS ('000) (1996-2010)
	Sows for breeding and bred gilts	Boars, 6 months and over	Under 20 kg	20-60 kg	Over 60 kg	Total
1996	1091,3	61,0	3,300,0	3,503,5	3,632,2	11,588,0
1997	1136,4	58,0	3,227,6	3,571,3	3,486,2	11,479,5
1998	1232,9	59,7	3,504,6	3,586,6	3,619,1	12,002,9
1999	1246,9	59,3	3,818,2	3,696,3	3,652,7	12,473,4
2000	1296,5	49,2	3,918,3	3,915,8	3,724,6	12,904,4
2001	1360,6	45,6	4,114,5	4,126,9	3,928,0	13,575,5
2002	1468,0	44,4	4,236,0	4,338,4	4,280,3	14,367,1
2003	1526,7	41,8	4,368.5	4,454.1	4,353.1	14,745.0
2004	1576.1	39,2	4,544.5	4,370.5	4,194.7	14,725.0
2005	1597.1	36.5	4,487.0	4,412.8	4,276.6	14,810.0
2006	1570.6	34.7	4,475.8	4,623.0	4,405.9	15,110.0
2007	1545.8	33.3	4,545.1	4,531.7	4,251.1	14,907.0
2008	1482.5	29.7	4,471.9	3,962.0	3,863.9	13,810.0
2009	1371.2	23.8	3,688.6	3,618.8	3,477.6	12,180.0
2010	1310.4	21.6	3,598.5	3,604.6	3,299.6	11,835.0
2011	1295.4	18.2	3,613.0	3,429.1	3,554.3	11,910.0

	Table 3 CANADIAN HOGS MARKETED IN CANADA - 1985-2010 (IN THOUSANDS OF HEADS)
1985	15,604.4
1986	14,900.9
1987	15,162.2
1988	16,306.8
1989	16,445.7
1990	15,574.6
1991	15,389.0
1992	16,140.2
1993	16,041.4
1994	16,391.1
1995	17,518.7
1996	17,958.4
1997	18,565.1
1998	21,065.2
1999	23,058.4
2000	24,043.9
2001	26,046.3
2002	327,880.1
2003	29,887.0
2004	31,383.3
2005	30,534.9
2006	30,566.0
2007	31,300.7
2008	31,063.5
2009	28,082.3
2010	27,023.2

(Source - Statistics Canada)