Farmer set to lose wild invasive pig that's half his business

Jan 02, 2024

Hans Lindenmann is used to slaughtering pigs on his eastern Ontario farm — he's a pork producer, after all — but killing four pigs two weeks ago was even more difficult.

Amid a small group of fewer than 10 affected Ontario pork producers, Lindenmann, 59, has had to phase out Eurasian wild boars from his livestock on his property near Vankleek Hill because of a ban first announced by the provincial government two years ago.

As of Jan. 1, the importation, possession, transport, propagation, buying, selling, leasing or trading of live Eurasian wild boar and their hybrids will be prohibited.

Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says the pigs are a significant threat to native plants and other animals.

"[They] have been called an ecological train wreck due to trampling, wallowing, and rooting in sensitive habitats and the significant harm they can cause to farmlands and stored crops," according to the ministry.

Ontario ups battle against wild pigs to keep province from going to the hogs

Lindenmann isn't fighting the move, which is supported by Ontario Pork, an industry group that represents more than 1,000 producers in the province.

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Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?