Swine Cluster 4 Research Initiative Officially Launched

The Government of Canada, Swine Innovation Porc (SIP) and their research partners have officially launched the Swine Cluster 4 research program.

The Swine Cluster research program is an initiative which unites industry, government and academic partners around shared research priorities focused on fostering continued sustainability, resiliency and growth in the Canadian pork sector.

Pork sector stakeholders gathered yesterday in Sherbrooke, Quebec for the official launch of Swine Cluster 4.

SIP Chair Arno Schober explains the Swine Cluster 4 program was developed using a highly collaborative approach intended to facilitate a research agenda that targets key pork industry priorities while avoiding duplication of efforts.

“The cluster is a five-year program and the total amount money allocated is just over 20 million dollars and it is really important for us to recognise that the Government of Canada is providing 10.6 million dollars to our cluster,” Schober said.

“The priorities are climate change and environment, economic growth and development and sector resilience and societal challenges.

This approach is a collaboration across the country,” he said.

Schober notes there's a lot of feed produced in Canada and lots of space to raise livestock.

“In total we have about 13 research institutions that are part of Cluster 4, we have about 36 industry partners in this cluster and we have about 50 researchers with their projects and sub projects that are part of this.

When you look at that, I would say that pretty much every swine research facility across Canada is part of this cluster and each project also has several sub projects so we're basically getting a collaboration from all swine researchers in Canada more or less,” Schober added.

He says, with 70 percent of its pork production exported, we need to have the research in place that will ensure Canada can stay competitive in the world export market.

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