I recently travelled to Canada as part of a Bord Bia-organised group researching Canadian pork production. The tour involved a detailed industry overview, including a number of visits to farms, pigmeat processors and retail outlets in Ontario and Manitoba, which account for 46% of pig numbers and slaughter volume in Canada.

Pig production is a vital component of Canada’s agricultural economy. The pigmeat sector accounts for 30% of total livestock shipments and 10% of all farm cash receipts. Canada is the world’s sixth biggest producer, but the third largest exporter (two million tonnes in 2014) of pigmeat, with exports worth $3.4bn (€2.3bn) in 2014. Export destinations include the US, Japan (a major focus as it is the most lucrative market), China, Hong Kong, Mexico (the fourth largest export market), Korea, Russia and Australia.

Most Canadian pig farms are located in the Prairies (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta), Quebec and Ontario, areas that produce grains and grain by-products for feed use, thus ensuring reasonable feed costs. Manitoba is the largest pig-producing and pig-exporting province in Canada, accounting for about 30% of national pig production and 60% of national pig exports.

Virtually all pig production in Canada takes place on commercial farms (over 7,000 in number), similar to production systems here. With 1.2 million sows, the most common pig production unit today is a specialised farrow-to-finish operation ranging in size from the average family farm of 200 to 250 sows to much larger corporate-type farms. Production levels have been increasing with 2014 data showing 27 million pigs produced, plus five million exported (to the US). Slaughter weights are increasing –1kg per year with current weights at 120kg to 125kg liveweight. Production costs in 2014 were €1.43/kg deadweight.

Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement (CCSI)

Since 1937, the industry has access to a uniform national testing system, the national record of performance swine testing programme. It provides producers with a basis for assessing their breeding stock using techniques such as ultrasonic recording of fat measurement in live animals. The programme is now administered by the Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement, with member organisations throughout the country.

The industry is based around three main breeds, namely Yorkshire, Landrace and Duroc. The Yorkshire/Landrace cross provides the F1 female, which is in turn crossed with the Duroc boar to provide the market pig.

The CCSI oversees the Canadian Swine Improvement Program (CSIP). This programme tests over 80,000 purebreds per year, looking at genetics and genomic evaluation for growth and feed efficiency, carcase evaluation, sow productivity and meat quality.

There are over 5.4 million animals included in evaluations, with 70 million new estimated breeding values (EBVs) added every two weeks. The programme is used by the main pig producers in Canada.

Some companies have their own programmes. There are two main areas of focus at present: ongoing genetic improvement services (CSIP) and applied research and technology transfer. The latter looks at alternatives for the control of boar taint, automatic recording of feed and water intake, infrared thermography, use of accelerometers to assess welfare behaviour, 3D visions for rapid carcase quality assessment, determination of age of bruises on carcases, prediction of carcase composition and quality traits, assessment of pork quality and technology for predicting loin marbling. Another study, PigGen Canada, aims to develop selection tools to improve health of commercial gilts. These projects also aim to improve consumer acceptance and market accessibility.

Canadian Quality Assurance (CQA)

Owned by the Canadian Pork Council, the CQA started in 1998 and represents the core food safety programme for pig producers in Canada. It is a national standard which is delivered provincially and is based on a HACCP model.

The Animal Care Assessment, launched in 2005, became part of CQA in 2012 and it is proposed to incorporate a new sow-housing certification programme. Registered producers must meet requirements and be audited in the first and every third year, with documents reviewed in intervening years. There are also some random audits.

Membership of the CQA is a condition of sale for federally inspected plants. Some 92% of pigs processed are from CQA registered farms. There is no price premium, but the main packers won’t buy from non-CQA farms. A national branding strategy, Verified Canadian Pork (similar to the Origin Ireland idea) in the English and French language is founded on the CQA, animal care, traceability and HACCP processing standards.

Pork marketing programme

Another division of Canada Pork International (CPI) is the National Pork Marketing Programme, established in 2014. It is a producer/processor-funded domestic market development initiative. Some 29% of all pork consumed in Canada is imported (95% from the US), despite the Canadian consumer believing they’re already buying/eating Canadian pork (similar to Ireland).

While pork consumption is declining, imports are increasing. The objectives of this initiative are to:

  • Maintain and increase per-capita consumption of Canadian pork v other protein choices.
  • Expand market share of Canadian pork by displacing imports.
  • Increase carcase utilisation and value optimisation (new cuts, underutilised cuts and value cuts programme).
  • Increase customer/consumer confidence and awareness in the quality and safety of Canadian pork.
  • Develop and implement solution-based programmes, strategic alliances and close working relationships with top-tier retail and foodservice operators. Retail outlet visits showed a huge range of products available, over and above the norm that would be seen in Irish outlets, eg pigs’ feet, tails and hocks, frozen products for stir fries, ready meat for salads and sandwiches, pork skewers, kids’ lunches with ham slices, etc. Interestingly, “pulled pork” is growing as a product for the domestic market in Canada. The retail outlet visits also showed a market for antibiotic-free pigmeat and increasing emphasis on animal welfare ratings at the point of sale in many supermarkets.

    • Pigmeat quality

    Major emphasis is placed on pigmeat quality: meat colour, firm meat texture, flavour, juiciness, water-holding capacity, fat colour, tenderness and marbling. A consumer-based report, The Canadian Pork Marbling Study, reported in 2008 that the consumer will choose lean based on a raw look, but will choose marbling based on cooked meat. Pork quality control points include:

  • On-farm: genetics, nutrition, food safety, animal care, mandatory traceability systems, withdrawal targets, transportation and health/stress management.
  • In-plant: pre-slaughter handling, stun, stick and early post-mortem handling; carcase handling during evisceration; carcase chilling and cold chain management; carcase-cutting, fabrication and packaging; distribution and container movement.
  • A total feed withdrawal target of 16 to 24 hours (a maximum of 12 hours on the farm); a rest period in lairage (24 hours is desirable but it should not be less than two hours); avoid electric prods; stun to stick interval average of 25 to 35 seconds; bleed time five minutes before scalding (to optimise tenderness); stick to chill time no more than 30 minutes.

    • Salmonella is reportedly not an issue and there is no specific national control programme. Acid washing is used in some plants.

    Japan is a key market for Canada – it is focused on developing and increasing exports and marketing its pigmeat as a premium product there (not the cheapest, but a premium product).

    From 2010 to 2014, chilled pork volume to Japan increased by 185%. Japan is aiming to extend the shelf life of its product and currently can get 45 days, but is looking for 55 days.

    The key to achieving this is centred on being surgically clean, automation, cold room temperatures and packaging (shrinkage and shrink temperature are important).

    Canada Pork International (CPI), a subsidiary group of the Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement and Agriculture Canada, has developed the Canadian Pork Quality Standards (CPQS), which uses a meat colour, fat colour and marbling scale, with a grading ruler photo tool. It correlates to Japanese Meat Grading Association standards and Minolta colour meter standards.