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BUILDING ONE OF MANITOBA'S KEY SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DRIVERS What will drive Manitoba's recovery from the pandemic? The agri-food sector, and specifically the hog sector, is at the top of that list. Manitoba's hog sector continues to enhance economic growth province-wide by creating jobs and opportunities in communities big and small, all while protecting our environment for future generations. A stronger and more resilient province is key to our recovery and our province's hog sector is poised to lead the way. Pork production is a key economic driver in Manitoba. The sector employs 14,000 Manitobans and contributes over $1.7 billion to the provincial economy each year, helping to fund important and necessary services like health care, education, and road maintenance. In the past five years alone, Manitoba has benefited from over $150 million in private capital invested across the province, to rebuild aging barns, construct new barns and expand processing capacity. This growth and rural development is expected to continue in the coming decade, and will incorporate leading edge technology that will further improve animal care and continue to reduce the sector's environmental footprint. All hog operations in Manitoba are subject to rigorous environmental oversight from governments. New barns are structurally engineered and designed to help protect the environment in which they are built and reflect the needs of the neighbourhoods in which they are located. For example, consideration is given to shelterbelts and ventilation that helps mitigate odour concerns. As a leader in global food production and one of the province's largest employers, Manitoba's hog sector is deeply committed to ensuring the right things are done to protect water quality and the environment. Hog farmers across the province continue to innovate and elevate what they do each day as they work to build a better Manitoba for all of us. Farmers depend on the land for their living and are proud to uphold strict environmental regulations that ensure Manitoba's natural resources are protected. Studies from around the world have identified that over the last 50 years, the environmental footprint of modern hog farming has significantly decreased. For every kilogram of pork raised today, farmers use 40% less water, require 33% less feed, 59% less land, and produce 35% fewer carbon emissions. These are trends Manitoba's hog farmers are continually working to improve even further. Manitoba Pork, the organization that represents the province's 630 hog farms, invests hundreds of thousands of dollars annually into research to help farmers adopt new technologies and environmentally friendly farming practices. As good stewards of land and water, Manitoba farmers have become world leaders in soil and manure management technology. Hog manure is a natural fertilizer that helps build soil health, replenishing nutrients that were removed by previous year's crops. Manure is highly valued and is often referred to as liquid gold by farmers across the province. Manitoba is also recognized as a leader in manure management practices. Currently, upwards of 90% of manure is injected beneath the surface of the soil. This practice not only minimizes the potential for runoff, but it also reduces odour and greenhouse gas emissions and provides organic fertilizer to plant roots where crops can best utilize the nutrients. Image: A modern, technically advanced hog barn in Western Manitoba Image: Upwards of 90% of hog manure, an organic fertilizer, is injected into the soil where plant roots can best utilize the nutrients In the past five years alone, Manitoba has benefited from over $150 million in private capital invested across the province … To learn more, visit manitobapork.com/economy

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