After three years of ongoing losses resulting from such factors as an over supply of hogs, high feed costs, high exchange rates and US public policy, the outlook for Canadian pork producers has brightened considerably over the past couple of months.

Canadian Pork Council president Jurgen Preugschas notes action taken by Ottawa, especially in dealing with H1N1, has been key.

Jurgen Preugschas-Canadian Pork Council

I think the government has certainly helped us out in terms of getting our markets open again, especially after H1N1.

That was critical.

It was critical, their work in China, that ours was the first country to open up again and we certainly need to thank our government for that.

They've also been, minister Ritz especially, has been very aggressive in trying to open new markets for pork around the world and that is critical for our ongoing success.

Market access is the key for our industry and we do appreciate what he's doing there.

Domestically of course they helped out in the Hog farm Transition Programme to assist producers to get out of the industry.

And the Loan Loss Reserve Programme, they helped out there, all be it that programme maybe wasn't quite as successful as we would have liked to have seen it.

Mr Preugschas suggests the biggest challenges right now include adjusting to the renewed strength of the Canadian dollar and maintaining access to global markets.

He says the Canadian pork industry's advantages include its knowledgeable producer base, the strength of its genetics, the health status of its swine herd and the global reputation of its products.