The Canadian Pork Council reports over half of the funding being offered under a federal program to reduce Canada’s swine breeding herd has now been applied for.
Under the 50 million dollar Federal Cull Breeding Swine Program, officially launched April 14, swine producers who agree to depopulate breeding barns and leave them empty of breeding stock for a minimum of three years are eligible to receive 225 dollars per animal culled.
The program was developed in response to the depressed economic situation in the pork industry brought on by an over supply of hogs, escalating feed costs and a strong Canadian dollar and targets a ten percent reduction in the national breeding herd.
Canadian Pork Council executive Martin Rice reports interest among producers has been strong. "We have seen actually more than the halfway point in terms of animals. To the extent that we were looking at a ten percent program allowance, that’s about 154 thousand breeding animals. We’ve seen 78 thousand applied for," Rice said.
Rice recommends anyone with an interest in this program should get their applications in at their earliest opportunity.
Source:
Farmscape.ca, May 2, 2008
Episode 2834