Friday, May 9, 2008

Does this make sense? Canadian Gov't pays farmers to kill 150,000 pigs

The pork industry is on the verge of collapse in Canada and so the government will be paying $50 million to kill off 150,000 pigs. Each farmer who wants to participate must kill off an entire breeding barn of pigs and agree not to restock the barn for three years. About 25% of the meat will go to food banks; none will enter the market.

Besides the rising price of feed, new rules from the U.S. which will require "Country of Origin" labeling is reducing the demand for Canadian pork from American companies.

Farmers are encouraged to send their iigs to euthanizing centers, although nothing prevents the pigs from being killed on the farm. Article at Canadian Press.

How about if the government helps these farmers transition to crops that will always be needed, that helps the environment by reducing methane, and that doesn't require the taking of a life?

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