The Cull Breeding Swine Program targeted a ten per cent reduction of the national breeding herd.

Originally animals culled between 1 November 2007 and 30 November 2008 were eligible for payments but the retroactive portion has been extended to include breeding swine culled between 1 August 2007 and 31 October 2007.

Canadian Pork Council public relations manager Gary Stordy says applications and information can be accessed through the pork council web site at CPC-CCP.com or through the producer toll free number at 1-877-655-2567.

Gary Stordy-Canadian Pork Council

Producers who may have looked or applied for this program previously will see very similar requirements to become eligible for the program.

They will have to have items like bills and shipping manifests but I would ask that producers look at the applications and ensure that they have all the prior documents to go through.

The application for this program was released on 7 May but we have a very very short time line as to when producers are eligible to apply.

Producers must get the application on its way or into the administrator by June 30th and they must be received here in Ottawa by 7 July.

Unfortunately that's a very tight timeline for people interested in applying but we hope that those interested in the program already have their bills and paperwork lined up to apply.

Mr Stordy acknowledges it's too soon to estimate the number of eligible producers but there are indications producers in the Atlantic provinces started reducing herds prior to the program and there have been inquiries from producers in the western provinces.