Quebec’s hog sector is waiting on a report the province commissioned for a March 3 deadline, on ways to revive the industry.
Guy Coulombe, a longtime provincial civil servant, was appointed in September by Agriculture Minister Laurent Lessard to enter into talks between principal players in the hog production and pork processing sectors and file a report back to Lessard by that date.
The report, however, hasn’t yet been received and the farmers’ newspaper La terre de chez nous reported Tuesday on its web site that Coulombe has asked Lessard for an extension to write it.
The newspaper said pork industry stakeholders are waiting “avec impatience” for Coulombe’s report. It said Coulombe has a few more extra days to submit the report but didn’t say whether he has a hard deadline.
Lessard said in September that through these talks it will be possible to lay the foundations for development of the pork industry and allow it to remain one of the pillars of the agri-food sector and provincial economy.
