BC Port dispute costing Canada's pork sector millions...Ottawa urged to bring in back to work legislation

Jul 21, 2023

The Keystone Agricultural Producers and Manitoba Pork say the strike is of grave concern to the Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food Sector and are urging the federal government for immediate intervention.

The two groups saying we need to see back-to-work legislation to end the strike.

The ICLU and BCMEA had reached a tentative agreement, which was later voted down by the ILWU caucus which then issued a 72-hour strike notice for Saturday.

That was later rescinded but the industry remains on edge as to what will happen next.

KAP general manager Brenna Mahoney highlighted the urgency of the situation.

"The ongoing labor dispute is severely affecting our ability to get our agricultural products to global markets. We are already witnessing the negative consequences on our reputation as a reliable supplier. This is costing both farmers and our value-added processors. Jobs in every region of Manitoba will be impacted."

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Video: Season 7, Episode 1: Managing Risk and Seeing Opportunities in U.S. Pork Production

Today’s episode features three guests discussing the similarities and differences between pork production in the United States and Brazil, along with strategies for managing risk in today’s industry while recognizing and acting on opportunities. First, Dr. Anne Caroline de Lara, executive manager of live pig production at Seara Alimentos, a JBS company in Brazil, is joined by Dr. Matthew Turner, head of operations for JBS Live Pork. Together, they discuss how labor, climate and ventilation challenges vary between Brazil and the United States, while underscoring their shared commitment to raising healthy pigs. They also point to lessons producers in both countries can take from one another’s systems and on-farm experiences. Then, Brady Reicks, risk manager at Reicks View Farms, shares his perspective on risk management, drawing from his background in markets and his transition into farming. He discusses how protecting margins varies by operation and offers practical approaches producers can use to make marketing and business decisions with greater confidence rather than hesitation.

Both conversations were recorded at recent industry events focused on swine livability, including the International Conference on Pig Livability and Iowa Swine Day.