Beyond Factory Farming

The factory farming of pigs in intensive hog operations is the most important factory farming issue in Saskatchewan. Massive expansion of beef feedlots in conjunction with ethanol plants are also being proposed. Intensive chicken and egg production also occurs in Saskatchewan. The interaction between ethanol and biodiesel production in North America, and in Saskatchewan specifically, is predicted to increase the price of feed with implications for intensive livestock profitability. The BSE crisis and the problems associated with lack of Canadian processing capacity set back plans to ramp up large scale beef production in Saskatchewan. The decision by Maple Leaf Foods Inc. to close their Saskatoon slaughterhouse and reduce their own hog production also has implications for the future of intensive hog production in Saskatchewan.