Why is this research important for Alberta ag?
Aside from South Korea, no major pork producer market currently has an official quality-based differentiation system, giving Canadian pig farmers little incentives to produce higher quality. But, current grading systems for lean meat yield have become obsolete.
With a large share of pork destined for export markets, where customers pay a premium for quality assurance, the industry would greatly benefit from an assured differentiation system.
This project develops science-based evidence of the potential benefits of implementing a quality-based pork carcass/primal classification system as proposed by Canada Pork International and evaluates technologies available for the evaluation of lean meat yield in commercial abattoirs.
This research aims to generate/show profitability effects of a new classification system in the Alberta/Canadian pork industries under different market and processing conditions.
What benefits can producers expect from this research?
The assessment of a quality differentiation of pork producers directly contributes links to a major industry priority — producer-ready evidence on the benefits of quality-based pork classification system that improve meat quality and marketing management in line with trends in Canadian consumer and export markets.
How will these research findings reach producers on-farm?
Results will be shared in various ways to reach the broadest possible audience. This will include press releases, presentations at producer forums, and presentations at scientific meetings.