September 28, 2007, Alberta Pork met with the Honourable George Groeneveld, Minister of Agriculture and Food, and his key officials. The purpose of the meeting was to present and discuss Alberta Pork’s Industry Recovery Plan.
Two key components were presented to Minister Groeneveld:
1. restructuring the current industry which includes a new business relationship between
producers and our major processor combined with a comprehensive value-added
processing and marketing strategy; and,
2. addressing the feed grain disadvantage in the interim along with operational constraints
relating to labour and regulatory costs as well as seizing upon opportunities such as clean,
renewable bio-gas energy production.
The Alberta Pork Industry Recovery Plan is the result of much discussion with industry over the past few months and our scan and probing of the current political environment in the province. If our proposals are adopted by the provincial government, the result will be significant immediate cash available to livestock producers through our proposed Biofuels Offset Program. Alberta Pork is asking government to offset 50 percent of the difference in feed grain prices due to the U.S. and Canadian ethanol policies through a direct payment to producers. The program is to be retroactive to January 1, 2007.
The overall Recovery Plan is to support the transition period with this offset payment to allow our producers, industry and government the time to implement measures that ensure a long-term competitive hog industry in Alberta.
Click here to download a copy of the Alberta Pork Industry Recovery Plan (67 KB pdf)
Updated status of the Alberta Pork Industry Recovery Plan:
October 16, 2007: Alberta Government announced the Alberta Farm Recovery Plan (AFRP)
October 2007 Alberta Pork Industry Review - Crucial Announcement Restores Hope |