Minister Meets with Pork Producers

Agriculture and Marketing Minister Ed Lorraine and deputy minister Alan Steel had a successful informal meeting in Kings County last week with pork producers and also toured Larsen's modern packing in Berwick.

Mr. Lorraine and Mr. Steel met with Hubert LeBlanc, chairman of Pork Nova Scotia, executive manager Henry Vissers, and a number of pork producers from across the province. The meeting Jan. 20 took place at Ted Ueffing's hog operation in Canning.

"We discussed a number of issues, including price, and just generally talked about how the industry was doing," said Mr. Lorraine. "The producers seem content with the way things are going, but I want to keep in close contact with them to ensure the supports we have put in place are working out OK."

Hog producers have been hard hit by depressed world prices. At the end of last year, the government joined producers and processors in increasing its contribution to the provincial Pork Risk Management Service, a fund that helps producers during times of low prices. The government also approved a $3.5-million loan request from Pork Nova Scotia to cover a deficit in the Pork Risk Management Service. The deficit was incurred by substantial payments to producers trying to keep operations open.

The minister and the deputy also met Larsen's president Carl Larsen the same day and took in an hour-long tour of the company's plant in Berwick.

"I have been through Larsen's before, and each time is impressive," said Mr. Lorraine. "The province is lucky to have such a modern, progressive and efficient processing facility. It is one of the key economic anchors in the Annapolis Valley."

Agriculture is a $1-billion-a-year industry in Nova Scotia and supports 16,000 direct and indirect jobs. Nova Scotia's pork industry consists of 93 commercial producers. In 1996, the sector generated $37 million in sales. About 250 direct jobs can be attributed to the province's hog sector. In addition, Larsen's employs more than 300 people.