Calling for action to help the hog industry in Manitoba

In question period today, I called on the government to act to help the hog industry in our province. I repeatedly asked Rosann Wowchuk and the Premier to table their plans to deal with the present situation in the hog industry. This they refused to do.

The hog industry in Manitoba is reeling under the combined impacts of the United States country of origin labeling and the recent H1N1 Flu Virus. The Minister is refusing to stand behind the Manitoba hog industry. If you are a hog producer in Manitoba without a firm contract with Maple Leaf or Hytek Ltd, you may be in deep trouble. And when I talk to pork producers, they are commenting on how this government does not appear to care about hog farmers in our province.

Hog prices on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange have tumbled thirty-eight percent from where they were one year ago and they were low then. Hog shipments to the United States are down from 25,000 hogs per week a year ago to 1,000 hogs per week today. Manitoba hog producers are facing grim prospects. I repeatedly called on the Manitoba Government to table its contingency plan now to help the industry, and the NDP refused to do this.

It is very sad, when so many hog producers in Manitoba are in difficulty, the Minister will not even provide a plan. When I went further to ask about whether there was going to be an offer of a buyout for producers on the brink, or at very least whether the Minister would work with all parties in the Legislature to promote a summer of barbeques there was not even a positive response to either approach.