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 1535

The producer of a just released documentary on Saskatchewan's swine industry says the new video zeros in on hog production from Saskatchewan's perspective.

The approximately 28 minute video 'Weighing the Facts-Pork Production in Saskatchewan' was produced by Saskatoon based Hursh Consulting and Communications on behalf of Sask Pork.

Kevin Hursh says the video strives to answer the main questions the general public and potential neighbors have about pork production.

"We talked to hog producers, pork producers, their employees neighbors, researchers, government regulators and we tried to answer the questions that people have the most often.

Odor is often near the top of that list. How much will the odor be, how obtrusive will it be? Can we get around an odor problem?

Manure storage, manure application, the government regulations involved in new pork production facilities, animal welfare issues, then as well the economic benefits of pork production facilities and career opportunities.

The video is going to be made widely available so that people can look at it and hopefully get a feel for what the industry is saying about issues such as odor and manure application and storage and animal welfare.

Often times there's information comes in from other areas and other interests and people with vested interests.

There have been some mistakes made in other jurisdictions on things like how manure is handled and stored but people need to know the facts from a Saskatchewan perspective and weigh it in balance to form their opinions".

Hursh says in the range of 20 to 25 individuals were interviewed including about half a dozen pork producers, a similar number of employees familiar with various aspects of production, neighbors and researchers with the Prairie Swine Centre.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.