Pork

British Columbia’s commercial hog industry is concentrated in the Fraser Valley.

On this page:

• Industry overview
• Small-lot pork production
• Commercial pork production
• Regulation

Industry overview

Two categories of hogs are marketed in the province of British Columbia:

• Round hogs, or BBQ hogs, 40 to 45 kg
• Market hogs, 95 to 110 kg, account for approximately 85% of hogs 

Approximately 92% of pork consumed is classified as commodity pork, basic cuts such as bellies, butts, hams, and loins, while the other 8% is value-added specialty pork.

Small lot pork production

The Small lot pork producer management and production manual (PDF, 4.3MB) was developed as a collaborative effort between B.C. Pork and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, specifically for small lot pork producers.

The manual provides details on:

• Emergency management
• Euthanasia
• Good husbandry practices
• Marketing
• Production economics
• Provincial and federal legislation

BC enterprise budget calculator for small lot and commercial pork producers, v. Oct. 2020 (XLSX, 1.6MB) provides an intuitive budget format for determining net income and costs of producing pork. (Use the tabs to navigate between sheets within the document)

Please refer to Section 3 of the manual Production Economics for B.C.’s Small Lot Pork Producer: Management and production (PDF) for details on how to use this program.

Additional resources

1. Canadian small-scale pig farming manual (PDF). A swine training development project manual for people who are interested in raising pigs on a small-scale basis.
2. Top 10 guide of things to know about raising pigs (PDF). A condensed summary of the highlights of manual 1, above
3. PigTRACE for small-scale pig producers. Canadian Pork Council information on traceability requirements for small-scale producers.

Commercial pork production

Hog production in B.C. consists of regulated and non-regulated production of round hogs and market hogs. Essential components to hog production are:

• Extensive practical and technical experience in hog production management
• Sufficient acreage classified as agricultural land
• Ready access to a licensed abattoir committed to accepting pork

Best practices and useful resources for the pork industry have been compiled into Farm Practices: Pork (PDF, 290 KB).

Code of practice for the care and handling of pigs, developed by the National Farm Animal Care Council, are guidelines for the care and handling of pigs.

Hoop shelters for grower-finisher pig housing (PDF, 74KB)  can add housing space to an existing farm operation with low capital investment:

Investment information on the B.C. hog industry (PDF, 416KB) A reference guide for investors, specifically in the Peace River Region and North Okanagan.

The following industry factsheets can help pork producers to maximize the health of their swine:

• Reducing nitrogen levels in hog manure by diet manipulation (PDF, 28KB)
• Your sows and heat stress (PDF, 90KB)  

Regulation

On July 1, 2014, federal legislation came into effect that required all hog movements to be recorded and reported to the national PigTrace database within 48 hours.

In 2015, the Animal Health Act was updated to allow the Province to better manage and respond to animal diseases to:

• Strengthen detection and management of diseases that can spread between animals and humans
• Ensure that B.C.'s farms are competitive by preventing, promptly detecting and eradicating animal diseases
• Reflect the realities of increasing global travel and trade

The BC Hog Marketing Scheme, established under the Natural Products Marketing (BC) Act, created the BC Hog Marketing Commission as a specialized body to govern regulated hog production as well as the marketing of B.C. hogs.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has a mandate to ensure a safe food supply for everyone in Canada.  Other local, provincial and federal legislation and regulations apply.