Manitoba’s hog sector is a key contributor to the provincial economy, enhancing the lives of Manitobans across the province. This economic impact contributes to a thriving and progressive lifestyle and helps rural communities thrive.
Over 14,000 skilled Manitobans depend on the hog sector for their livelihood, including the compassionate people who take care of the pigs in the barns. Each hog sector job helps sustain up to five jobs in related sectors. From general labourers to highly trained professionals, at the heart of it all is a commitment to ongoing education and training. Swine technicians, animal nutritionists and veterinarians focus on animal care and health. Feed mill staff manage incoming grain and create feed orders for barns. IT specialists develop software programs to help barns run more efficiently. Procurement staff track inventory and purchase everything a farm could need, from toilet paper to animal vaccines.
Meat processing also offers a variety of careers, including in production and packaging, transportation and logistics, and workplace safety and health. Indirect jobs in areas like plumbing, pipefitting, and construction are needed to continue to grow the industry, working on expansion projects and new barn builds across the province.
Major expansion is taking place all over Manitoba, with new barn spaces in small communities like Roblin, a state-of-the art genetic breeding facility in Plumas and Maple Leaf’s new bacon processing facility expansion in Winnipeg, representing substantial new investment in the sector. Over 30 new barns and expansions have been completed since 2017, providing opportunities for more Manitobans to become involved in raising and producing pork.
These new facilities help make pork production more sustainable and further support stringent animal care standards, which not only increases the need for continuous training and the adoption of new practices, but also creates jobs in tech-based careers.
Manitoba hog farmers are supporting the communities they love. Each year, the hog sector contributes $1.7 billion to Manitoba’s economy. That’s like building 65 new schools, eight new highway interchanges, or 50 hospital expansion projects. Every dollar created by the hog sector generates $2.75 in additional economic activity.
Hog farmers play an active role in building strong communities. The sector is at the forefront of Manitoba’s economic recovery, revitalizing rural areas and fostering economic growth across the province.
To learn more, visit manitobapork.com/economy