Hog Supplier
Succumbs to Drought

Canada’s second-largest hog producer has entered receivership as the North American hog industry struggles under the bruising costs of animal feed, according to a report by Reuters.

Big Sky Farms, based in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, produces roughly one million pigs annually and accounts for 40% of Saskatchewan’s total hog production.

In an interview with the Manitoba Farm Journal, Big Sky Chief Executive Casey Smit said the drought is driving up feed costs, and Big Sky was losing C$40 to C$50 on every hog it sends to market.

“It really leaves the company with very few options,” Smit says.

If Big Sky were to liquidate its herd, the broader Western Canadian hog industry would be hit hard, including feedmills, truckers and hog processors. Big Sky is one of the suppliers for packing plants owned by Maple Leaf Foods and Olymel.

Canada is the world’s third-largest pork exporter. ◆