The Rural Voice, 2003-06, Page 16Canadian genetics (above) and modern building
technology (below) could help pull Russia's pork industry
out of a decade-long decline. (Rural Voice file photos)
1/ t. 1 1 ): P/ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1, 1 1 1,
11
1i111f 11 tl 111111111111
12 THE RURAL VOICE
To Russia with
advice
Some of Ontario's top pork people
are helping redesign a Russian pork
industry so outdated, the country
has to import pork
By Keith Roulston
Russian pork production, in a freefall since the fall of
the Communist system that artificially kept alive an
inefficient industry, is getting a boost thanks to
some of Ontario's top innovators.
Jim Donaldson of Donaldson International Livestock
Ltd. in Tavistock and Fred Groenestege of Fred
Groenestege Construction at Sebringville have been
working with a Russian company to take top -line Canadian
genetics to Russia and house the pigs in new facilities of
the kind Canadians have developed in modern three -site
systems.
In 1992, Russia was producing 31.5 million pigs but that
number plummeted to 16.7 million in 1998 before
recovering to 17.4 million in 2000, Donaldson explained
when he spoke at the Centralia Swine Research Update
earlier this year.
Despite having a large land base and potential to grow
large amounts of quality feed, Russia is currently importing
600,000 tonnes of pork a year, Donaldson said. "The
country is in dire need of new investments from the
outside and modernization and legislative changes are the
key to economic revival."
Most of the hog hams in Russia are huge state farms,