Canadian Pork Exports Create Jobs and Add to Canada’s Economy

University News for July 6, 2012

A study conducted by the George Morris Centre has shown exports of Canadian pork contribute over $9 billion annually to the Canadian economy.

Full Interview 6:10 Listen
The Guelph-based George Morris Centre has completed a study on behalf of the Canadian Pork Council that looked at the importance of Canadian pork exports to pork producers and to the overall Canadian economy.
Using data gathered from Statistics Canada, Agriculture Canada and provincial marketings, researchers found $3.2 billion worth of pork was exported from Canada in 2011, those exports added anywhere from $20 to $30 per pig to the farmers’ bottom line, generated about 45,000 jobs in Canada accounting for nearly $2 billion worth of wages and salaries and provided an additional net economic contribution to Canada’s GDP of about $3.5 billion .
Kevin Grier, a senior market analyst with the George Morris Centre, says the study focused strictly on the contribution of pork exports.

Clip-Kevin Grier-George Morris Centre:
The purpose was as you mentioned out front to demonstrate the importance of pork exports to producers and to the overall economy.
You can demonstrate then to producers, when we have a check-off with regard to money that goes into supporting Canada Pork International, this is money that goes to helping the industry enhance its exports.
If we talk to policy makers, we can point to, we need to participating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership or we need to increase our access to South Korea or we need to increase our access to other emerging markets.
Why? Well because it generates jobs and wealth for Canada and we can show what it has done and we can show if we increase our exports it will generate even more in terms of economic wealth as well as jobs.

Grier observes the fact that exports account for 60 percent of Canadian pork production suggests that if Canada’s pork industry is to grow and prosper, exports are going to play a big role in that future.
For UniversityNews.Org, I’m Bruce Cochrane.

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