Spruce Woods Colony took top honours at this year’s pork quality luncheon, with Wellwood Colony finishing runner-up, followed by Riverside Colony — the winners of last year’s event.

Sunnyside Colony and Boundary Lane Colony rounded out the top five.

The competition remains a highlight, even for experienced entrants, said Jason Hofer of Wellwood Colony.

The luncheon, organized in partnership with the Manitoba Pork Council, Assiniboine College, East 40 Packers and Blue Water Wash, pairs a pork-focused meal with a quality competition judged on the animals entered by producers.

As has become tradition for the event, winners also designated a charity of their choice to share in the prize money.

“We’ve won quite a few shows in the past, so we always have fun at it,” Hofer said. “It’s a good experience, it’s for charity, and that’s mainly the reason we like entering, because it’s a charitable cause.”

Wellwood Colony chose to support the Brandon Regional Health Centre this year.

“They’ve been asking for some funds they need to complete that new facility they got there, and they’ve asked for charity, so we decided we’re going to donate to them. We’ve donated lots to them before,” he said.

While a first-place finish is always the goal, placing second still feels like a win, Hofer added.

“You always want to be the winner, but you can’t always win. We’ve won our fair share of first places, and runner-up is good too.”

Producers choose charity

A key part of the event is its charitable impact, said Kristen Laing Breemersch, manager of operations and acting general manager with the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba, the organizing body behind the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair.

This year’s selected charities included the Brandon Regional Health Centre Foundation, HEART (a Hutterite-led underwater search and rescue group) and several rural hospitals, including those in Neepawa, Souris and Portage la Prairie.

Prize money is split between producers and their chosen charities, with at least half directed to the selected organization for top-placing entries. Some winners go a step further.

This year, Laing Breemersch said, the grand champion winners donated the entire prize.

From farm to community tables

The pork itself is also put to use locally. The top two carcasses are sent to Assiniboine College to support culinary training, while the remaining product is processed and distributed to food banks and community groups with help from East 40 Packers.

Giving back is what makes the event stand out, Laing Breemersch said.

“It’s one of the aspects of our winter fair that is quite dear to me, to be able to give back to our community and give back to the people that are in need,” she said. “We couldn’t do it without the generosity and support of all of these colonies.”

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Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, who met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, told reporters he also discussed the impact of geopolitical tensions on the oil and gas market and how China sees Canada as a stable energy supplier.

“We are becoming a partner of choice,” he said.

WHY IT MATTERS: While China has lowered levies on Canadian agricultural products like canola, it continues to charge a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian pork.

The two officials also agreed to hold high-level economic and financial dialogue in the second half of this year, according to an official Chinese summary of the meeting.

Champagne said the discussions centred on the financial services sector but addressed trade in energy and pork, as well as fair labour practices.

“Canada puts a lot of importance on supply chain integrity and that our bilateral trade needs to be conducted in accordance with international standards,” Champagne said.

Canada, like China, has been targeted with tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump since his administration took office in January 2025. Strained U.S. trade relations have posed a major challenge for the Canadian economy.

Among the Trump administration’s actions, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office in March said it initiated a second set of unfair trade practice probes of 60 economies, including Canada and China.

Tariffs on Canadian pork discussed

China is Canada’s second-largest trade partner with about C$120 billion of bilateral trade. Canada aims to increase its overall exports to China by 50 per cent by 2030.

Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in January as Ottawa works to diversify trade away from its largest partner, the United States.

While China suspended some agricultural levies on Canada following Carney’s visit, Beijing still has a 25 per cent tariff on imports of Canadian pork, which Champagne said he raised during the meetings.

“Part of my message to the Chinese side was, really, we need to get to a point where we remove these trade irritants,” he said. “I’m leaving Beijing tomorrow with the feeling that we have laid the foundation.”

Champagne added that the automotive sector was not discussed, following reports that Stellantis was reviewing options for building electric vehicles in Canada with Chinese partner Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology.

He said Stellantis would need to live up to its obligations on investments and workers in Canada.

— Additional reporting from Reuters’ Beijing newsroom

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The tariff rate for canola seed is 14.9 per cent, effective March 1, Global Affairs Canada said in a news release.

Canada and China struck an initial trade deal in January when Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Beijing. Canada agreed to reduce tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in return for lower tariffs on goods like canola.

“Canada’s farmers, ranchers, and processors succeed when markets are open and trade is predictable,” said Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald in the news release.

“The suspension and reduction of tariffs on agriculture products, in addition to the restoration of market access for Canadian beef, pet food and animal genetics exports to China, deliver real opportunities for Canadian producers, businesses and workers,” he added.

As of March 1, Canada implemented a quota of 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles and extended the remission of surtaxes for certain Chinese steel and aluminum products.

The announcement makes no mention of pork or canola oil.

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“We know domestic and international consumers will want to educate themselves on this technology, but it is important to note there is no mechanism to track or segregate this product through supply chains,” the Canadian Pork Council said in a March 3 statement.

Given the challenges of labelling, the council said it supports work to gain public acceptance for pork from these gene edited pigs.

In January, Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency gave the green light to pigs developed by U.K.-based Genus PLC and PIC (Pig Improvement Company), ruling them safe for food and feed. The pigs have been gene edited to resist porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS).

Environment and Climate Change Canada and Health Canada also said that environmental and human health risks were no different than with pigs currently available. The CFIA and Health Canada also found no difference in nutritional value, according to a Jan. 23 news release.

Pork from gene edited pigs won’t require special labelling because Health Canada found no health and safety concerns.

Calls for mandatory labelling

However, some agriculture and consumer groups are calling for mandatory labelling of foods produced through gene editing and genetic engineering — including pork from the PRRS-resistant pigs and genetically engineered tomatoes recently approved in Canada.

In a letter to Health Minister Marjorie Michel, a group of organizations including the National Farmers Union and the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) said mandatory labelling should be “urgently” implemented. It cited the recent approval of the pigs and tomatoes, and the imminent closure of the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB).

“Health Canada has committed ‘to the highest level of transparency’ relating to the genetically engineered pig. We support this goal but require clarification on how you will accomplish this promised transparency,” the letter says.

Health Canada has been working with that board since November on a public review of the National Standard for labelling and advertising regarding foods produced with genetic engineering. However, it was announced in the 2025 federal budget that the board would wind down activities.

“The CGSB is currently developing a transition plan to ensure reliable continuity and minimize disruption for partners and interested parties,” the government’s website says.

The letter does not specify what the groups’ concerns are about gene edited and genetically engineered foods. CBAN’s website says that GM foods are “approved for human consumption based on company-produced science” and that “there are very few long-term independent tests on GM foods.”

Organic groups have also called for mandatory labelling of gene edited crops, due to concerns about cross contamination. Canadian organic standards don’t allow for crops or animals bred with forms of genetic engineering.

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Sollio Cooperative Group held its annual general meeting on Feb. 26.

The group saw consolidated sales of $8.4 billion and $562.3 million in adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Earnings before patronage refunds and income taxes were $211.9 million for the fiscal year compared to $129.5 million in 2024.

Sollio pledged to return $75 million to members of its co-operative network in dividends and share redemptions. This compares to $25 million in 2024, which was the first year it paid patronage refunds since 2020.

Sollio Agriculture saw sales of $2.56 billion. It attributed strong results to performance in its crop production and livestock production sectors.

Sollio Retail (BMR) saw sales of $968.2 million with a better-than-average financial performance attributed to “strict management,” the news release said.

The co-operative has bounced back in the last few years after booking deep losses in 2022 which occurred largely in its Olymel food division. It attributed its losses that year to lack of labour and high grain, transportation and labour costs. In 2023, Olymel dialed back pork production in Alberta and Saskatchewan and closed processing plants in Quebec and Ontario.

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China will suspend 100 per cent tariffs on Canadian canola meal and pea imports and will halt 25 per cent tariffs on lobster and crab imports from March 1 through the end of 2026, the finance ministry said in a statement.

The outcome broadly aligns with Carney’s expectations. But the Chinese announcement made no mention of canola seed tariffs, which Carney had previously said would be lowered by March 1.

WHY IT MATTERS: China is suspending what were crippling tariffs on Canadian canola meal and peas, however Friday’s statement made no mention of canola seed or pork.

Ottawa expected Beijing to lower canola seed tariffs to a combined rate of about 15 per cent from the current 84 per cent. A probe into Canadian canola is set to conclude on March 9, the Chinese commerce ministry has said.

“One thing we do know is that Chinese buyers have been booking Canadian canola cargoes for March already. That gives me a pretty high degree of confidence that they’re going to follow through on the reduced tariff rate,” said Even Rogers Pay, director at Beijing-based consultancy Trivium China.

Canola oil and pork were also not mentioned in the statement. But Beijing could still announce further adjustments by the March 1 deadline previewed by Carney.

China was Canada’s second largest market for canola in 2024.

The suspensions come amid a wave of visits to Beijing by Western leaders as U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policies have strained Washington’s traditional alliances. China has sought to present itself as a more stable and reliable economic partner in contrast.

Carney went further than his European counterparts by securing a deal with China and signalling Canada’s ambition to play a leading role in a new global trade order aimed at reducing dependence on the United States.

During his China trip, Carney pledged to allow into Canada up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles at a tariff of 6.1 per cent on most-favoured-nation terms.

— Reporting by Ella Cao, Xiuhao Chen, Daphne Zhang and Lewis Jackson

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“A market of almost 300 million people is obviously an important one for Canadian producers. That’s why this step in diversifying Canada’s pork export markets is so crucial,” said Canadian Pork Council chair René Roy in a federal news release.

Indonesia has opened its market to Canadian pork and pork products. It will also now accept over-thirty-month bone-in beef and beef offal. Previously, Canadian producers could only export boneless beef.

Indonesian authorities also audited and approved more Canadian meat and livestock facilities.

Canada and Indonesia signed the Canada-Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in September. The agreement will eliminate “nearly all” tariffs on Canadian beef and pork, the Feb. 23 news release said.

Indonesia is Canada’s sixth-largest agri-food and seafood export market, the federal government said.

“Indonesia is a dynamic and fast-growing economy,” said Albert Aringfield, vice president of international market development and promotion with Canada Beef International.

“This opportunity strengthens our relationships in Southeast Asia and supports the long-term sustainability and diversification of Canada’s beef sector.”

The federal government said it continues to negotiate export certificates for live breeding cattle, live swine, genetic material and bovine embryos.

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Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu concluded his trip to Singapore and Vietnam, the federal government said Wednesday.

WHY IT MATTERS: The Indo-Pacific region is seen as a growth market for Canadian agri-food trade. Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy is also touted by the government as a key part of the country’s economic future.

Sidhu met with industry leaders in Vietnam to discuss strengthening supply chains and attended an agri-food showcase hosted by supermarket chain BRG Mart, which carries Canadian products like apples, oatmeal and frozen beef.

With an eight per cent growth trajectory, “Vietnam will require enhanced food security through Canadian agri-food expertise,” Sidhu said in a Feb. 18 news release.

He also spoke about the work by the Canadian and Vietnamese ministries of agriculture to resolve access issues, reopen markets to Canadian salmon and safeguard market access for Canadian pork in case of an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Canada.

In both countries, Sidhu met with government officials to strengthen bilateral trade ties and emphasize the importance of a free trade agreement between Canada and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Sidhu announced $7.3 million in funding for the Vietnam Initiative for Strengthening Trade as part of Canada’s commitment to support that country’s economic and trade-related legal reform.

He also announced US$20 million (C$27.4 million) in funding to support Vietnamese farmers and agribusiness to adopt more sustainable practices.

The Indo-Pacific is Canada’s second-largest regional merchandise export market after the U.S. Vietnam is Canada’s largest merchandise trading partner among ASEAN countries.

Sidhu has previously sought out trade deals in Indonesia and the Philippines as well.

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Representatives from several organizations made a case for the practice similar to that in the United States during recent testimony at the House of Commons agriculture committee.

“The current information gap is preventing our industry from realizing its full long-term potential,” said Canadian Pork Council chair Rene Roy.

He said the correlation between the Canadian price and the U.S. benchmark is a critical issue for the industry.

“Too often, the price paid to Canadian producers decouples — is not aligned — from the reference market without any clear way for producers to identify the structural causes,” he told the committee.

Roy said setting up price transparency in advance would protect Canadian producers in the event of a foreign animal disease challenge.

He also said this would allow Canadian producers to understand their own value chain.

“We are often told that Canada is globally competitive, but without verified data we are essentially navigating by guesswork,” he said.

Clear data makes the sector more attractive for investment and a new generation of farmers. He said a system similar to that of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in place for about 25 years, would include retailers.

Roy’s Quebec counterpart, Louis-Phillippe Roy said the committee’s study offers hope of obtaining fairer business relationships between producers and processors, as well as better trade relations.

“It will also correct certain price distortions, which happen too often between producers and processors,” he said.

WHY IT MATTERS: The Canadian and American pork and beef sectors are highly integrated but sometimes the American reference prices don’t accurately reflect the Canadian market. Price information in the U.S. is aggregated and shared by the USDA.

Louis-Phillippe Roy said American prices dropped between 2015 and 2019 due to a production surplus, and Quebec producers saw those same decreases, even though production was lower than the province’s slaughter capacity.

Stephen Heckbert, CPC president and chief executive officer, said Canadians should have sovereignty over the Canadian price.

“The fact that this system already exists in the United States and that we are entirely dependent on it means that if there is an outbreak of African swine fever in the United States, it would be worse than if it happened in Canada,” he said.

U.S. processors were initially reluctant to provide data, but it has become an important industry tool that uses cutout prices, said Rene Roy.

The Canadian pork sector has never had price reporting, but there is some history in the beef industry. It began in 2003 after BSE and ended in 2020.

“We have tried a number of ways to bring it back,” said Brenna Grant, executive director of Canfax, a division of the Canadian Cattle Association.

“The greatest concern from the packers has been confidentiality, given the limited number of players in the market.”

Grant said she believes it could be done, noting that in the U.S., data is suppressed when a limited number of packers report. Or, she said, only certain cuts could be reported.

CCA executive vice-president Dennis Laycraft said he wasn’t sure if mandatory reporting would benefit beef producers because processing competition is much smaller than in pork.

Calvin Vaags operates True North Foods, a federally inspected plant in Manitoba that processes about 180 animals per week. He said price discovery begins in the U.S. market, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

“Having said that, when it does come and get converted to a Canadian price, there’s basis considerations with freight, regulation and many things there. Those things, perhaps, we could look at to get better transparency.”

Thomas Beretta from Alberta meat packer Beretta Farms said more transparent pricing would work, but data collection has to be done by an independent third party.

Vaags said the information supplied through the previous Canfax program arrived too late to be helpful. A new system would have to be more robust and timely.

Donald Boucher, director general at Agriculture Canada’s sector development and analysis branch, said the government supports industry-led efforts to improve price transparency.

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WHY IT MATTERS: Manitoba Pork’s hog levy had not been raised since 2004 and was the lowest in Canada according to the organization.

All six districts voted yes to the increases at a special meeting in Portage la Prairie on Feb. 12.

Last April, Manitoba Pork said it was considering raising levies to combat a projected deficit for the 2025 fiscal year due to rising expenses. Last month, it floated a proposal to raise the hog levy from 80 cents per hog to 90 cents. Members would be also be charged two cents more per weanling — raising the levy to 21 cents from 19 cents per animal.

Manitoba Pork’s hog levy had been in place since 2004 and was the lowest producer levy of all provincial pork producer groups. The national average was just over $1.

In an email to Glacier FarmMedia, a spokesperson from Manitoba Pork said the revenue generated by the levy increase would total approximately $500,000, which wouldn’t be fully realized until 2027.

The increase is still subject to provincial approval.

With files from Alexis Stockford and Geralyn Wichers

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