Executive Director’s Report
Darcy Fitzgerald
June 2014 Regional Meetings
Thank you Alberta Pork Board
Thank you to our processors, veterinarians, government, GFII,
ALMA, and other partners
Thank you Alberta Pork Staff
Audrey Cameron (CPC)
Barb Brimmage
Charlotte Shipp
Christina Carley
Geoff Geddes
Javier Bahamon (June 9)
Karen Gurba (May 9)
Marilyn Griesheimer
Marlyn Dalmacio
Sheri Monk
Murray Roeske, Ron Axelson, Marvin Salomons *
So who are these people and what do they
do for me and my dollar per pig??
Serving Alberta Pork Producers to
Enhance Prosperity
Stimulate change and help create
growth for future generations
Four Main Objectives
Profitability for Producers
Informed
and
Engaged
Industry
We
Promise
Strong Partner
Relationships
Operational Excellence
Remember who pays the bills
Operational Excellence
 Are we doing our job… are we efficient & effective…
 Levy (Alberta Pork Producers’ Commission Regulation)
 Work with producers, processors and abattoirs to ensure levy
is remitted in a timely fashion
 We use the dollars to within mandate and use dollars wisely
 We represent the best interests of all pork producers in AB
 We act in a timely manner
 We are seeking alternative ways of doing things and
sources of funding to meet producer / industry needs.
Operational Excellence
 Maintain regulatory obligations
 Uphold the regulations – (levy requirements / registrations)
 Interests of all producers
 Marketing of Agricultural Products Act Changes

Implement change over time
 All directors are now Directors at large
 Voting by proxy is now permitted
 Voting by mail is now permitted
 Future Amendments
 Align with the Swine Traceability Regulations

Dual authorities
Operational Excellence
Board Of Directors – Elections
Directors at Large (2014-2015)
Frank Novak – Chairman
Will Kingma – Vice Chairman
Andy Vanessen – Treasurer
Ard Bonthuis
Martin Bowman
Marcel Rupert
Dan Majeau
(Vacancy) – Jaco Poot
Operational Excellence
If you have concerns:
Please call Darcy Fitzgerald
(780-491-3529)
1-877-247-7675
Darcy.fitzgerald@albertapork.com
Or
Call a Board Member
Profitability for Producers
Cost Recovery Strategies – Risk Management
 Pricing
 Short term high prices shouldn’t distract from the fundamental pricing
issues
 Need to work within the value chain to develop a sustainable pricing model
 Build a robust domestic / international market with partners
 Forward Contracting
 Offered through MLF and the WHE … others
 Record high cash, forward contracts and futures price
 Western Livestock Insurance Program
 AFSC has expanded the HPIP to include all western provinces
 Potential program changes are being discussed
 Mortality Insurance / Hedging Programs / etc.
Profitability for Producers
Inputs
Feed-grain costs – Feed Consortium
Labour
 Agriculture Industry Labour Council of Alberta
 Represented by Mark Chambers, Sunterra Farms and Marvin Salomons
 Addressing temporary foreign worker (TFW) program issues



Moratorium on LMO’s for occupations in the Food Services sector
The Federal Government is conducting a review and considering
revisions to the program
At this time, we don’t know how or if this will impact
agriculture/agri-food sector
Profitability for Producers
Inputs – Overall Farm Safety
 Farm Safety / Fatality and Injury Reporting
 Growing political and public attention
 Industry is responding through the Intensive Livestock Working Group
(ILWG)




Push ahead Farm Safety Recommendations identified by the Alberta
Farm Safety Advisory Council in 2010 as well as …
Feasibility of baseline insurance coverage for farm workers
 WCB or private insurance (Survey our industry)
Feasibility of implement farm fatality investigation and reporting
process
Work with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development and others
Profitability for Producers
Inputs
 Antibiotic Usage and Resistance
 Emerging issue internationally and in Canada
 Cost of Production Pilot
 ~30 producer participating and submitting farm data
 Extended for another year
 Develop a tool for producers to self-submit and report
 Code of Practice
 Released March 2014
Profitability for Producers
Access to funding
 Growing Forward II
 Opened early on March 3, 2014
 Assisted ~100 producers to submit applications to the Growing Forward
II program targeting:
Animal Health Biosecurity Producer
Food safety Systems Producer
On-Farm Energy Management
 Other streams of funding available
 Working with GF team members to build a welfare risk assessment
 Watch the Growing Forward II website for its release or contact the Alberta Pork
office
Profitability for Producers
Access to Capital
 Alberta Hog Feeders Association
 New pod – United Hog Growers of Alberta has been developed
 Pending final sign-offs
Informed and Engaged Industry
Alberta Pork Communications
 Media – voice for the industry
 Meetings
 Telephone TownHall
 In person meetings
 E-Newsletter and accompanying fax version
 Producer Updates
 Industry Review – Quarterly
 Alberta Pork website
 Marketing to consumers – P4P/ Education
 Western Hog Journal
Alberta is PED Free!
A special thanks to producers and to
- Our industry partners… truckers, vets, processors, washes
- Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development and Growing Forward II
for collaborating with Alberta Pork and industry on these issues and
for their continued financial support of PEDv related activities over the
coming years.
Informed and Engaged Industry
Growing Forward -- Porcine Disease Preparedness
 PEDv Communications
 Information Sessions


9 biosecurity producer meetings focusing on PEDv
8 service provider meetings all around Alberta
 Monthly TownHall Meetings
 PEDv website
 Updates on the instances of disease in U.S. and Canada
 Resource Centre


Canadian and US resources on PEDv
Educational Videos
Informed and Engaged Industry
Growing Forward -- Disease Preparedness
April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2016
 Protocols Development
 Truck Wash protocols – made available to all producers
 Producer Check List – signature required
 Educational site visits and audits
 Starting August 1
 Producers
 CQA/ACA
 Service providers, processors and abattoirs
 Provide tailored biosecurity information and tools
Informed and Engaged Industry
Growing Forward – Disease Preparedness
April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2016
 Environmental Surveillance for PEDv
 3 truck wash sites
 2 assembly yards
 All federal packers are participating
Informed and Engaged Industry
Alberta Swine Traceability System
 Alberta Pork is the delegated authority
 Alberta regulations for full movement are anticipated before July 1/14
 National regulations will be in effect July 1, 2014
 Continued reporting to the Alberta Swine Traceability System will
ensure you are meeting all national regulations and requirements
 All movements from PID to PID or from PID to slaughter must be
reported
 Due to PEDv many producers have already started reporting
farm to farm movements
Informed and Engaged Industry
Alberta Pork Communications
 Public Education
 Calgary Stampede – July 5-12, 2014
(producers wanted)
 Aggie Days – April 2015
(producers wanted)
 City Slickers – September 2014
(producers wanted)
 Pig Science Centre - on-going tours
Build Strong Relationships
Passion for Pork Initiative – ALMA
 Relationship building
www.PassionforPork.com
JUNE IS PORK MONTH
 Commercials
 May 19-July 15 with 5 different spots airing on Global and CTV in
Edmonton/Calgary… airing on the dinner hour news, during prime time
evening and breakfast TV
 Radio ads in Calgary / Edmonton in June
 <<<Insert P4P Commercial>>>
THIS CHRISTMAS COME HOME TO ALBERTA PORK
Build Strong Relationships
Spring / Summer Events
 Porkapalooza BBQ Festival (1st year – Edmonton) - June 14-15
 Alberta Pork will be the lead sponsor

(we need some producers to be involved)
 BBQ on the Bow - (22nd year - Calgary) - August 30-31
 Alberta will be the lead sponsor

(we need some producers to be involved)
Build Strong Relationships
Spring / Summer Events
 Pig & Pinot (4th year – Calgary) - June 18
 10 restaurants, Hotel Arts and the City Palate
 Canada Day Run (3rd year for ABP) – Edmonton – July 1
 Bacon Fest (1st year - Edmonton) – July 4
Build Strong Relationships
National Domestic Marketing Initiative
 Canada Pork International - working with Retailers and the Food
Service Sector on the technical aspects of meat quality, cuts and
marketing
International Marketing Initiative
 Canada Pork International – working with processors and exporters to
sell $3.2 billion per year
Build Strong Relationships
Partner Relationships
 Value Chain Partners





Olymel/Maple Leaf Foods/Donald’s Fine Foods/Sunterra
Provincial Plants and others
Western Hog Exchange
Retail and Food Service
CONSUMERS / PUBLIC
 Veterinarians, Trucking, Washing, etc.
 Traceability, ILWG, AEPA, AILCA, Chops and Crops, Alberta Livestock
and Meat Agency, Growing Forward II, AFSC, CPC , CPI, other provinces,
and Government
 Other commodities
 Media
 Others
Thank You
Executive Director’s Report
Darcy Fitzgerald
June 2014 Regional Meetings