Canada invests in pork imaging technology

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has announced an investment of nearly $1 million to help the pork sector use new imaging technology to improve the quality of cuts offered to domestic and international buyers.

“The Government of Canada is committed to helping hog farmers compete internationally by offering the best pork cuts using the latest imaging technology. Producers will be able to selectively breed hogs with the most desirable characteristics, helping drive the sector forward as a leader in innovation, while improving profitability,” says Parliamentary Secretary Jean-Claude Poissant.

According to a government press release, this project, being carried out by Fonds de recherche et développement de la production porcine (FRDPP) in Quebec, aims to enhance the value of each hog by as much as $15 by using scanning technology to create 3D images to map desirable traits in live animals. Those hogs that provide the best cuts of pork would be selected to populate subsequent generations, thus passing along the desirable traits.

Montreal-based FRDPP is a not-for-profit corporation created in 2006 by the Coop fédérée and its affiliated cooperatives to support research and development in the pork sector.

“Coop fédérée values research and development in its pork value chain to develop new practices that meet industry requirements and constantly-evolving consumer needs as well,” says Ghislain Gervais, president of La Coop fédérée. “We therefore welcome Agriculture and Agri-Food’s contribution to our technological innovation project in genetic selection.”