MBiz | December 2020

MANITOBA’S HOG SECTOR CONTINUES TO INVIGORATE RURAL COMMUNITIES

The global economy has taken a severe hit from the pandemic. As Manitoba starts to recover, it is reassuring to note that the hog sector continues to enhance economic strength province-wide by creating jobs and growth opportunities in rural communities, while producing high-quality and affordable protein. The Manitoba hog sector employs 14,000 Manitobans and contributes $1.7 billion to the provincial economy annually. Thanks to the hog sector, rural areas like Neepawa, Roblin, Killarney, and Notre Dame de Lourdes are being revitalized with new jobs in construction and other local trades. Schools, daycares, churches, and recreational centres are welcoming new members and communities are thriving. “Myself and other Manitoba hog farmers continue to invest in new or expanded operations to meet the higher demand and standards that the marketplace requires,” says Rick Préjet, a hog farmer from Notre Dame de Lourdes. Since 2017, there have been over 20 new barn sites or barn expansions developed in Manitoba, with several others currently in the planning or approval stage.

This represents over $100 million in private investment in rural Manitoba. As well, more than $200 million has been invested by Manitoba processing facilities. All told, in the coming years provincial pork producers will be investing about $2 billion, creating jobs and raising the economic wealth of all Manitobans. Ongoing investments like these will be bolstered by the provincial government’s sustainable protein strategy, which seeks to ensure that Manitoba remains a leader in animal protein production as global demand increases.

Manitoba’s share of the Canadian hog market

“The world will eventually recover and move on from the destruction brought by COVID-19,” Préjet notes. “And Manitoba hog farmers will do our part by continuing to contribute to a thriving and progressive lifestyle for everyone.”

To learn more, visit manitobapork.com/rural Sponsored Content by Manitoba Pork

Image: A modern Manitoba barn build

CONTRIBUTING 14,000 JOBS AND 1.7 BILLION ANNUALLY The hog sector is a key contributor to Manitoba’s economy.

HyLife Foods Manitoba Pork Producer Neepawa, MB

WINTER 2020

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