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 1513

Saskatchewan's Justice Department says much of the evidence used to defend Canada's cattle industry against US allegations of unfair trade practices apply to similar charges leveled against the Canadian swine industry.

Petitions filed with the US Department of Commerce and the US International Trade Commission on behalf of American swine producers call for countervail and antidumping duties, ranging from five to 20 percent, on imported Canadian live butcher hogs and weanling pigs.

Last week the ITC ruled there was a reasonable indication that these imports were injuring the US live swine industry.

Saskatchewan Crown Council Linda Zarzeczny says, despite the negative preliminary finding, there is every reason to believe that Canada will ultimately be successful in showing that governments are not unfairly subsidizing hog producers.

"Canadians are fair traders and we have every reason to believe this case is going to be dismissed.

There are no unfair subsidies being given here by any of the governments based on what we've been able to see so far.

Now we're very early in the proceedings but I have no reason to believe that we won't be ultimately successful. Canadians are fair traders.

We have a very efficient swine industry and we are essentially smart producers of hogs in Canada. We had a case similar to this one brought against Canadian cattle in the late 90's and, although it does take some time to make its way through the system, we were ultimately successful in defending that case and in defending against the allegations in that particular dispute".

Zarzeczny says there are some precedents from the cattle case.

She says some of the programs being targeted in this particular case were also targeted in the cattle case and Canada successfully defended those.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.