The Canadian Pork Council

Purpose

Hog producers in Canada organized in 1966 as the Canadian Swine Council, to participate in the developent and negotiation of a new carcass grading system. Subsequently renamed the Canadian Pork Council, the CPC has as its stated purpose:

"to provide a leadership role in a concerted effort involving all levels of industry and government toward a common undertanding and action plan for achieving a dynamic and prosperous pork industry in Canada."

 

Our target accomplishments now include:

• a healthy Canadian pork industry which will provide a profitable economic environment for hog producers
• having hog production recognized as an economically important, and environmentally responsible segment of Canada's economy
• seeing that pork is promoted as the lean, nutritious protein source that it is
• maintaining Canada's national swine herd health status as the best in the world
• provision of hogs with the size, conformation and other attributes desired by our customers

Membership Structure and Activities

The CPC brings together the interests of its nine provincial members at the national level.

The primary decision-making body of the Canadian Pork Council is the Board of Directors, which is composed of 19 directors appointed from the provincial membership following a formula based upon shares of national production. The Board of Directors meets twice per year at a location alternating between provinces.

The Executive Committee oversees the CPC's activity program between Board meetings and appoints committees to work on specific subject areas. Examples include grading, animal care and research.

Market pigs are sold in Canada primarily through provincial hog marketing organizations, which are under the exclusive control and direction of hog producers. These organizations make up the membership of the Canadian Pork Council and include the following:

 

• Alberta Pork Producers Development Corporation
• British Columbia Hog Marketing Commission
• Fèdèration des producteurs de porcs du Quèbec
• Manitoba Pork
• New Brunswick Hog Marketing Board
• Ontario Pork Producers' Marketing Board
• Pork Nova Scotia
• Prince Edward Island Hog Commodity Marketing Board
• SPI Marketing Group (Saskatchewan)

These agencies are responsible for determining prices paid to producers, through price negotiation or auction systems, and in some cases also organize the assembly and delivery of the pigs to the packers. These boards and commissions work for their producers in many other areas including funding of research and conducting promotion.

The Canadian Swine Breeders Association holds an ex officio place on the Canadian Pork Council, thus maintaining a close cooperative linkage between the breeder and commercial hog segments of the industry.

The Pork Council works in such areas as:

• maintaining export access, including defending Canadian hog producers' interests in trade actions and addressing technical barriers
• opening new markets for pork, through Canada Pork International which the CPC created along with the Canadian Meat Council
• projects aimed at quality improvement such as carcass surveys and technology transfer initiatives
• communicating research priorities, and advising on animal health programs and initiatives
• addressing emerging issues in such areas as biotechnology, environment, food safety and animal care.

The Canadian Pork Council

operates from a single office located in Ottawa, Canada's capital city.

Canadian Pork Council
1101-75 Albert Street,
Ottawa, Ontario Canada
K1P 5E7
Tel: (613) 236-9239; Fax: (613) 236-6658;
Web site: www.canpork.ca
Email: cpc@fox.nstn.ca