A number of research projects (14) dealing with pork quality, swine nutrition, swine health, swine welfare and the environment are being funded over five years by Swine Innovation Porc in partnership with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

In an interview with Farmscape, Stewart Cressman, the Chair of Swine Innovation Porc, says the focus is to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of the Canadian pork sector:

“The overall goal is to have information and results that will be implemented on farms or in processing plants or in feed mills impacting all levels of the pork value chain.

“For instance, the project concerning pork quality is looking at the potential ability to establish a grading system for pork in Canada so that the different cuts can be allocated to the various sectors that they would have the greatest value in.

“If it's a fresh market cut you would want lots of marbling. If you are looking at curing it, not so much because it impacts on the cure.

“The hotel, restaurant and institutional trade would be looking for slightly different cuts and then the Japanese market of course, our highest market, has very stringent specifications.

“It's really trying to ensure that the proper cuts get to the end user that has the greatest value.”

Cressman notes that over 90 researchers representing more than 20 research institutions across Canada are working in collaboration with more than 45 pork sector partners.