Farm-Scape is sponsored by Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork Play Audio Farm-Scape is a Wonderworks Canada production and is distributed courtesy of Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork.

Farm-Scape, Episode 1490

The Weanling Exporters District Director with Manitoba Pork Council suggests US trade action against Canadian live hogs is aimed at disrupting the Canadian industry's international marketing efforts. The US Commerce Department is due to announce, this week, whether it will formally investigate American complaints that subsidized Canadian weanling pigs and butcher hogs being dumped into the US are lowering US prices causing them hurt.

Larry Friesen was part of the team that traveled to Washington for hearings on the issue. He says, when the Americans initiate a trade action, we have to defend and we will but those resources could be better used on such activities as the 'Brand Canada' promotion launched in Japan.

"I think that our Brand Canada program in Japan is going to be very successful. I think we're going to take on the United States in taking a lot of their market share over there and I think this is just a way of taking us off our game and keeping us divided and keeping us not focusing on what we do best and that's selling pork.
We should be putting all of our energy into completing the first stages of the Brand Canada, Canada pork.
The farmers own that brand.
Let's send this around the world.
We've got world class facilities.
We've got a product that's second to none, barley fed, DNA traceability, it's delicious, it's safe.
We've got the CQA program.
We've got a good reputation around the world for this product.
We should be out selling this product and spending our money on promotion and stuff instead of on legal bills and wasted time."

Friesen says Canada's agricultural programs are designed to meet all of its international trade obligations and do not constitute subsidization and, based on American numbers, the volume of Canadian hogs entering the US is insignificant. He says the hope is that Canada will win the argument in the first round and there will be no need to waste additional time and money.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.