By Bruce Cochrane
Moose Jaw based Thunder Creek Pork will be opening its doors to pork producers and representatives of the industries that provide them services next week to show what's involved in processing hogs.
Thunder Creek Pork, a division of Langley, B.C. based Donald's Fine Foods, has been operating its Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan hog slaughtering plant since January 2011.
Pork producers in Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba as well hog industry suppliers such as feed company representatives, veterinarians, genetics company representatives and others are invited to attend an open house July 30.
Tyler Wiebe, the hog procurement coordinator with Thunder Creek Pork, says this is the third open and its intent is to create transparency and allow producers to see how their hogs are processed.
Tyler Wiebe-Thunder Creek Pork:
Our primary suppliers of animals have been Hutterite Colonies around Saskatchewan.
Our current capacity is roughly around 1,150 to 1,200 hog per day and interest in the plant has been very strong.
We have a very good hog procurement program, very fair and we have the ability as a smaller plant to take a lot more time to look at every animal and grade them.
Hog supply has been down the last couple of years actually.
A number of factors have played a big part in that.
Number 1 is the PED virus that went through the United States.
Barns up here weren't affected as much, however the barns in the states required a lot of isoweaners so a lot of isoweaners have left Canada, went to the states to help get their supply back up so that is dwindling the Canadian supply and making everything a lot more competitive as far as procurement goes.
Those interested in attending the open house are requested to register by this Friday by calling 1 306 693-7675 and be prepared to provide the number of those planning to attend and their boot sizes.
Source: Farmscape