The next Canadian federal election takes place on Monday, September 20. As we gather information on candidates and party platforms, find below some context related to how Alberta’s registered pork producers fit within the bigger picture.
Currently, Alberta counts a total of 893 registered pork producers – independent producers, producer groups, Hutterite colonies and hobby producers (small farms) – living in 16 different federal constituencies. Of the total, commercial producers (independents, groups and colonies) represent about one-third of the total number but produce, collectively, more than 99% of all hogs marketed in the province.
Among those constituencies where Alberta pork producers live, five stand out for the number and composition of producers:
- Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner: This constituency is home to the greatest proportion of commercial producers in any constituency in Alberta, at 76%, with 49 producers total. This constituency contains the greatest proportion of Hutterite colonies of any constituency, at 92% of commercial producers in the constituency. This constituency was most recently represented by Glen Motz (Conservative), who is seeking re-election.
- Lethbridge: This constituency is home to the second-greatest proportion of commercial producers in any constituency in Alberta, at 62%, with 42 producers total. This constituency contains the greatest proportion of independent producers of any constituency, at 27% of commercial producers in the constituency. This constituency includes the City of Lethbridge, where the Maple Leaf Foods meatpacking plant is located – the second-largest of Alberta’s three federally inspected hog slaughter facilities, by volume of hogs processed. This constituency was most recently represented by Rachael Harder (Conservative), who is seeking re-election.
- Bow River: This constituency is home to the third-greatest proportion of commercial producers in any constituency in Alberta, at 52%, with 102 producers total. This constituency was most recently represented by Martin Shields (Conservative), who is seeking re-election.
- Red Deer-Lacombe: This constituency is home to the fourth-greatest proportion of commercial producers in any constituency in Alberta, at 51%, with 55 producers total. This constituency contains the greatest proportion of producer groups of any constituency, at 57% of commercial producers in the constituency. This constituency is adjacent to the City of Red Deer, where the Olymel meatpacking plant is located – the largest of Alberta’s three federally inspected hog slaughter facilities, by volume of hogs processed. This constituency was most recently represented by Blaine Calkins (Conservative), who is seeking re-election.
- Battle River-Crowfoot: This constituency is home to the fifth-greatest proportion of commercial producers in any constituency in Alberta, at 48%, with 132 producers total. This constituency includes the Town of Trochu, where the Sunterra Meats meatpacking plant is located – the third-largest of Alberta’s three federally inspected hog slaughter facilities, by volume of hogs processed. This constituency was most recently represented by Damien Kurek (Conservative), who is seeking re-election.
With the outcome of the 2019 federal election, virtually all registered Alberta pork producers were represented by Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Conservative Party of Canada – a trend that has held steady since the formation of that party prior to the 2004 election. In the 2000 election, MPs from the Canadian Alliance Party dominated those similar constituencies (adjusted every 10 years for population changes). In the 1997 and 1993 elections, MPs from the Reform Party of Canada came out on top. From the 1988 election and earlier, MPs from the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.
For more information, visit the websites of the parties (in alphabetic order) fielding candidates in these constituencies: Christian Heritage Party of Canada, Conservative Party of Canada, Green Party of Canada, Liberal Party of Canada, Libertarian Party of Canada, Maverick Party of Canada, New Democratic Party of Canada and People’s Party of Canada.
Leading up to the election, a full list of candidates for these constituencies, including biographies, will be released, along with further analysis of issues touching agri-food – especially those impacting Alberta’s hog farmers.
