A snowstorm that blanketed southern areas of Alberta had a modest impact on attendance for Alberta Pork’s 2024 Annual General Meeting in Calgary on November 21.
Executive Director Darcy Fitzgerald, while returning to Edmonton the next day, said attendance for the AGM was down a bit at about 140 people, compared with an average of around 175. Those who did make the journey were enthusiastic about the meeting and optimistic for the future of their industry, said Fitzgerald.
Hog prices have been strong for the past seven or eight months, but there is still not enough confidence in the industry for Alberta’s remaining commercial producers to look seriously at building or renovating, he said.
Afternoon speakers Brett Stuart from AgriTrends and Todd Thurman from Swine Insights International cast some hope in the room with their discussions on future trends in economics and demographics. They both spoke of a changing world where population growth will slow and with protein industries to see less emphasis on quantity and more emphasis on quality in the products they sell.
Canada’s exceptional record as a producer of exceptional pork will stand its industry in good stead as that trend develops, said Fitzgerald.
Concern and preparation continue around threats of foreign animal disease, especially African Swine Fever, he said.
Industry stakeholders who had attended a meeting in Calgary the day before also expressed concern about access to labour for farms and facilities, urging that pressure be placed on the federal government to remove the burden of obstacles facing those who hire help from foreign lands.
Stephen Heckbert, executive director for Canadian Pork Council, gave an update on its activities in the past year, describing how resources currently available are being targeted to those areas of high concern, including raising awareness among the Canadian public of the qualities that differentiate domestic pork from imported products. The CPC is also putting pressure on the federal government to remove barriers for employers seeking workers from abroad, said Fitzgerald.
Overall, leaders in Alberta’s pork industry are feeling positive about the future of the industry and are confident in its ability to meet those challenges, he said.
Alberta Pork – the Alberta Pork Producers Development Corporation – was formed in 1969 as a single-desk marketer for hogs and to promote and develop the province’s pork industry. Its role as a single-desk marketer ended in 1996, when the Western Hog Exchange was created as a division of “the pork board.”
Western Hog Exchange and Alberta Pork were separated into two distinct boards in 1999. WHE is a voluntary pork marketer while Alberta Pork continues in its role as an industry supporter, providing tools to help producers find efficiencies and improve revenues on their farms. •
— By Brenda Kossowan