The news was announced by parliamentary secretary Jean-Claude Poissant, on behalf of Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay. The announcement coincided with the two-day Pork Show in Quebec City.
Such financial support will go towards using new imaging technology to improve the quality of cuts offered to domestic and international buyers.
The project is being carried out by not-for-profit Fonds de Recherche et Développement de la Production Porcine (FRDPP) in Quebec, with the purpose of adding value to each hog by $15. This will be achieved by capitalising on scanning technology to create 3D images to map out the most desirable traits in living animals. The pigs that display the most impressive cuts will then be selected to populate future generations, passing on their desirable qualities.
“The government of Canada is committed to helping hog farmers compete internationally by offering the best pork cuts using the latest imaging technology,” said Poissant. “Producers will be able to selectively breed hogs with the most desirable characteristics, helping drive the sector forward as a leader in innovation, while improving profitability.”
According to the government, Canada’s pork sector generated CA$4.2bn in farm cash receipts in 2015, with 26% of hog farms in the Quebec area.
Ghislain Gervais, president of La Coop fédérée, said: “Coop fédérée values research and development in its pork value chain to develop new practices that meet industry requirements and constantly-evolving consumer needs as well. We therefore welcome Agriculture and Agri-Food’s contribution to our technological innovation project in genetic selection.”
The funding is part of the Canadian Agricultural Adaption Program that started in 2014 and runs until 2019. The $50.3m program has been designed to help the agricultural sector grasp opportunities and to position itself to respond to new and emerging issues and to develop solutions to problems facing the industry.