The Rural Voice, 2003-04, Page 33is necessarily more animal -friendly
than a large operation. "Some are.
Some aren't," said Dr. Tim
Blackwell. Neither are small farms
necessarily more environmentally
friendly, though small farms can't
as large
create
an environmental
disaster if
something
goes wrong.
Still, he
reminded the
audience, the
E. coli in the
Walkerton
water supply
during the
2000 disaster
seems to have
come from a
small, well-managed cattle operation.
The good news for small pork
producers is that size is relatively
neutral if there is good management.
Over the last 10 years return in the
Ontario pork industry has averaged
$20-$25 per pig, with about $10 for
labour and $15 for return on
investment. That's about $500 per
sow whether you have one sow or
10,000. "You can't put up a 10,000
sow barn and not get at least that
return."
Where size does matter is in the
size of the Ontario pork industry,
Blackwell said. He reminded
producers they live in the country
that is now the largest pork exporter
in the world and in the province that
produces more pork than any other.
"It's an enormous benefit to have a
pig farm, regardless of size, in
Ontario. Suppliers are competing for
your business. Size does matter in
creating critical mass."
ith half the pigs produced
being exported, Ontario
hog farmers are producing
the Olympic athletes of pork
production, competing against the
best pigs in the world from the U.S.
or Denmark. Producing pigs almost
anywhere else in the world would put
them at a disadvantage, he said.
The disadvantage of small hog
farms is that people have to work
long hours, which can lead to terrible
injuries among people tired and
alone. The advantage is that small
farmers are always at home with
their families.
But Blackwell said he's also
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APRIL 2003 29