Meetings Replace Conference to Address Financial and Future Challenges
SASKATOON - The pork industry is under the greatest pressure in recent memory, making it a serious challenge for individual farms to remain a viable enterprise. At this point, after months of below break-even prices, pork producers are looking for any relief they can find.
15 February 2008
3 minute read
Lee Whittington, Manager Information Services at Prairie Swine Centre reminds producers and their industry suppliers that although it is not possible to find economies in any barn to offset current losses, there are several dollars per hog typically found on most farms.
"For those producers that have chosen to ride this low point out, 'When Every Penny Counts' means methodically checking their current practice against a checklist of best practices," he says.
Meetings are planned to take place across the Prairie pig production belt throughout the spring . The first dates to be announced are for Portage La Prairie and Niverville in Manitoba on 19 and 20 February. Further dates for Saskatchewan and Alberta will be announced shortly
The meetings will cover topics that identify those practices that save 50 cents to over ten dollars per hog. For example, developing a feed budget encourages the nutritionist and pork producer to rebuild the most economical diet and then track usage to ensure the correct amount of that diet is being delivered to each group of pigs.
"Frequently an audit of this on the farm reveals too much of some feeds and not enough of others are actually being consumed and the net cost can be $5 or more in additional feed costs per hog marketed," says Mr Whittington.
Other areas for discussion will include selecting alternative ingredients, and evaluating power usage, both important areas of research on-going at the Centre.
"These meetings will help producers check their current practices against a large checklist of best practices to extract any remaining hidden costs out of their production system," adds Mr Whittington.
For more information contact: Lee Whittington, Manager, Information Services Prairie Swine Centre Inc. E-mail: [email protected]
"For those producers that have chosen to ride this low point out, 'When Every Penny Counts' means methodically checking their current practice against a checklist of best practices," he says.
Conference Change
In response to the severity and urgency of the challenge Prairie Swine Centre has postponed this year's Focus on the Future Conference in favour of smaller, more personal meetings to be held across western Canada - titled 'When Every Penny Counts'.Meetings are planned to take place across the Prairie pig production belt throughout the spring . The first dates to be announced are for Portage La Prairie and Niverville in Manitoba on 19 and 20 February. Further dates for Saskatchewan and Alberta will be announced shortly
The meetings will cover topics that identify those practices that save 50 cents to over ten dollars per hog. For example, developing a feed budget encourages the nutritionist and pork producer to rebuild the most economical diet and then track usage to ensure the correct amount of that diet is being delivered to each group of pigs.
"Frequently an audit of this on the farm reveals too much of some feeds and not enough of others are actually being consumed and the net cost can be $5 or more in additional feed costs per hog marketed," says Mr Whittington.
Other areas for discussion will include selecting alternative ingredients, and evaluating power usage, both important areas of research on-going at the Centre.
"These meetings will help producers check their current practices against a large checklist of best practices to extract any remaining hidden costs out of their production system," adds Mr Whittington.
Registration Details
Registration for the meeting is FREE and lunch will be provided. To registration contact the Manitoba Pork Council on Tel + 204-237-7447, or Prairie Swine Centre on Tel + 306-373-9922.For more information contact: Lee Whittington, Manager, Information Services Prairie Swine Centre Inc. E-mail: [email protected]
