Canada is reported to be with ahead with applications from producers for the sow cull programme that aims to trim 10% of the number of breeding sows nationwide. But Statistics Canada says April 2008 Canadian pig numbers were already down 11.7% from a year earlier by dropping to 13 million in total. It has represented not only the fifth quarterly decrease in succession, but also the single large annual percentage fall for 30 years.
Moreover, other data from the same source show the Canadian pig producers are walking away from the business. The reduction in number of pig units between April 2007 and April 2008 was a record of almost 20%.
