Red tape hurting hog farmers: Ontario Pork Congress president

In 1973, organizers of the first Ontario Pork Congress weren’t thinking about a long-lasting legacy with the event.

They looking road.

“We thought if we could keep it going into a second year we’d be lucky,” recalled Don McLean, who was the first president of that inaugural congress in Stratford. “It really was a step of faith.”

McLean attended opening day of the 40th Ontario Pork Congress Wednesday at the Rotary Complex in Stratford, and offered a unique perspective on what has become the biggest pig show in Canada, and one of the most important annual events for the pork industry.

It had humbler beginnings though, noted McLean.

“I think we lost about $10,000 that first year,” he said. “Finances were tough.”

But a dedicated core group stuck with the concept of bringing stakeholders together in one place to help promote the pork industry.

“The unique thing about the congress was that it brought the farmer, the agribusiness and the Ministry of Agriculture together to work together,” said McLean, “and I don’t think that had ever happened.”

While the format has changed over time, that core idea still drives the OPC 40 years later, said current president Steve Thomas, who joined the conversation after meeting McLean on the show floor.

“We’re all in this agriculture business together,” said Thomas, gesturing to the crowds wandering among the 130 or so exhibitors in and around the Burnside Agriplex and Community Hall. “We’re encroaching on nine billion people on the planet, and we’ve got a lot of hungry mouths to feed. And we’ve certainly weren’t 40 years down the got to get better and better at producing safe, affordable, abundant food, because that’s what people demand.”

Both Thomas and McLean had high praise for the province’s pork producers for the way they’ve tackled that challenge over the years, even through some difficult economic times.

“They’re a tough bunch, a resilient bunch,” said Thomas. “They stick at it.”

McLean called farmers the “backbone of the country.”

Asked about the biggest challenges facing Ontario pork producers in particular, both men gave the same answer. “Red tape,” said Thomas. “Definitely. Red tape,” agreed McLean. “The more red tape, the more frustrated they get.”

“It’s making farming not as fun as it used to be,” said Thomas.

And with an aging population of farmers in Ontario, reducing government bureaucracy will be key if the industry hopes to attract the next generation of producers, they added.

For the pork congress, attracting crowds has always been about providing a mix of education and entertainment alongside a “one-stop-shop” tradeshow that highlights relevant products, services and technologies, noted Thomas.

“It’s a good opportunity for people to get a little more insight into the agribusinesses that supply the industry,” he said.

That hasn’t changed over the past four decades, noted McLean, even though the venue has.

“What a palace you’ve got here,” he said admiringly, glancing around the still newlooking complex. “It’s a real credit to the surrounding community and to the pork congress.”

The two-day event wraps up Thursday at Stratford’s Rotary Complex.