Sask Pork

Roles and Responsibilities Sask Pork is the representative organization for all Saskatchewan pork producers.  It was established in 1998 to lead and provide industry programs and services for producers.  Managed by a Board of Directors that is elected by producers and represents all producers and production levels, the following programs and services are carried out:  Industry Communications, Swine Research Funding; Product Promotion, Industry Sustainability & Growth, Traceability, Policy Development, Environmental Management, and delivery of the Canadian Quality Assurance Program (CQA™). As the voice for producers, Sask Pork partners with key organizations to facilitate opportunities and services to both the producer and to key stakeholder groups.  Our partnerships include the University of Saskatchewan, Prairie Swine Centre Inc., Saskatchwan Ministry of Agriculture, Saskatchewan AgriVision Corporation and Farm Animal Council of Saskatchewan.  Sask Pork has also received complementary funding from the Agri-Food Innovation Fund and CARDS to fund swine research and facilitate delivery of the CQA™ program to producers. Sask Pork is represented on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Pork Council and Canada Pork International ensuring a national voice for lobbying on federal issues and continued development of international markets for Saskatchewan pork products.  Through partnerships with these two organizations is the affiliation with the Canadian Meat Council and input to the Canadian Food Inspection developments of codes and regulations pertaining to the fresh meat industry.
Membership Membership is legislated for all producers raising hogs in Saskatchewan for slaughter.  A provincial check-off of $0.75 per hog is collected.  A registered producer is any producer marketing one hog or more in the previous year. The Annual General Meeting of producers is held in November of each year.	Issues Facing Pork Industry Issues Facing Pork Industry Board Members Industry Development
How the agency works The organization is led by a 6 member Board of Directors made up of pork producers, elected by producers.  The Board provides direction for the development of the Saskatchewan pork industry and identifies issues specific to pork producers.  Currently there are approximately 588 producers who in 2003 produced 2.06 million hogs.	Publications: 2000 Annual Report 2001 Annual Report 2002 Annual Report 2003 Annual Report 2004 Annual Report 2005 Annual Report 2006 Annual Report
Industry facts In 2006, Saskatchewan had 296 individuals/companies producing 2.6 million pigs. As of June 1, 2007, 98 per cent of pigs produced in Saskatchewan are slaughtered out of province due to a lack of federally inspected hog slaughter facilities located within the province. 2006 Canadian marketings reached over 30.8 million hogs. Saskatchewan marketed 8.4 of that total at 2.59 million hogs. Hog density per sq. mile of arable land: Saskatchewan 18; Manitoba 152; Alberta 47; Quebec 579; Ontario 253. A 1200 farrow-to-finish barn uses 5000 acres of feed grains; provides employment for 12 full time and 2.5 indirect personnel and has total sales revenue of over $4 million. Hog production is the third most significant agricultural sector in Saskatchewan behind the grains and oilseeds sector and cattle.	How to Contact Us SaskPork Bay 2, Main Floor, 502 - 4th Street West Saskatoon, SK S7L 6H2 Toll-free # 1-866-244-7675` E-Mail:  info@saskpork.com Website:  www.saskpork.com
	Regulations Orders

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Issues Facing Pork Industry:

1. A severe shortage of western Canadian slaughter capacity, and the need for expanded western Canadian markets.
2. The need to develop traceability/zoning programs to protect the industry from foreign animal disease (FAD) outbreaks, and limit the spread of disease during an FAD outbreak.
3. Improved Federal assistance in the form of Safety Net programs for hog producers, and mechanisms to cope with the financial implications of a FAD outbreak.
4. Factors affecting hog prices and survival of producers during cyclical downturns in prices and market demand.
5. Ongoing community awareness and acceptance of intensive livestock production.
6. Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) and its impact on exports of feeder pigs and market hogs to the U.S.
7. Although the most widely eaten meat in the world, there is declining per capita consumption of pork in Canada.
8. Increasing consumer/retail concerns regarding animal welfare and food safety, and how the industry adapts to meet these concerns.

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  Sask Pork Board of Directors

Joe Kleinsasser Chairman Rosetown Colony Box 1509 Rosetown, Saskatchewan S0L 2V0 Phone: (306) 882-3112 ext 217 Fax: (306) 882-2404	Shirley Voldeng 1st Vice Chairperson Box 640 Naicam, SK S0K 2Z0 Phone: (306) 874-2244 Fax: (306) 874-5565 svoldeng@sasktel.net
Darren Laventure 2nd Vice Chairperson Box 102 Leoville, Saskatchewan S0J 1N0 Phone: (306) 883-3770 Fax: (306) 883-2726 email: dlaventure@xplornet.com	Ross Johnson 708 – 4 th Street East Saskatoon , SK S7H 1K1 Tel: (306) 955-6465 Fax: (306) 229-7423 email: rossjohnson@sasktel.net
Judy Ulrich Box 295 Spalding, Saskatchewan S0K 4C0 Phone: (306) 287-3733 Fax: (306) 287-3653 Cell: (306) 287-3733 judyupf@bogend.ca	Florian Possberg Box 610 Humboldt, SK S0K 2A0 Phone: (306) 682-5041 Fax: (306) 682-5042 fpossberg@bigsky.sk.ca

Board members are responsible to producers.  If you are a producer and have concerns about the current operations or have ideas about what issues the organization should be following, please call any of them.

Industry Development & Communications

Sask Pork’s vision is to ensure a sustainable pork industry within a diverse provincial agricultural economy.  Given the cost of production, access to feed, a large land base, exceptional animal health and genetics and a climate favourable to production, there is a business case for existing producers and new developers to expand and develop operations in Saskatchewan.  Already sizeable, a strong industry with increased presence will be more sustainable.  Our organization recognizes the inter-connected nature of the agriculture economy,.  A stronger pork industry means local markets for feed grains, opportunities for use of manure and future processing possibilities.

Keeping producers, stakeholders and the general public informed about our industry is one key area of focus.  Through communications programs based on scientific fact and not myths, we are working to help urban and rural communities to understand and accept the expansion of the pork industry.  Through public policy development the organization will continue to address the development needs and concerns of all levels of production, including pricing, access to capital, access to markets and export.

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Orders

For information on this or any other issues relating to Sask Pork, please contact them directly by phone at (306) 244-7752 or by e-mail at info@saskpork.com