The truth is the closest most of us ever get to a hog is when its sliced packaged and in the grocery cart. But it is now the pork producers who say they are being pushed further away from the animals and the business. They face a perfect and threatening economic storm with the high dollar and higher feed costs . As one of the country's largest pork producers watches its pork bellies go belly-up there's a cry for government help. 

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Canada's pork industry calling for a bail out - Manitoba Pork Association

We started this segment with a Canadian pork commercial.

Canada's pork producers really wish more Canadians were looking for that sticker. The industry has been in decline at least since that commercial was made in 2008, but now, many hog producers say they're in crisis. Feed prices spiked with the summer's drought that hit U.S. corn crops, putting an added strain on both large- and small-scale pig farmers who have already been struggling for years. Some now wonder if it's time to cut their losses.

CBC producer Suzanne Dufresne went to visit Marg Remple. She has five thousand pigs at her farm about an hour's drive south of Winnipeg.

Last week, the fourth-largest pork producer in Canada filed for bankruptcy protection. Manitoba's Puratone Corporation blames feed prices, the strong dollar, and the global recession. Also last week, Saskatchewan's largest hog producer, Big Sky Farms, was placed in receivership despite its restructuring efforts of three years ago.

These latest developments have some in the industry worried that pork production could be completely wiped out in this country. Karl Kynoch is the chair of Manitoba Pork, an industry association. We reached him at his home in Baldur, Manitoba.

Canada's pork industry calling for a bail out - Agriculture Minister

Canada's Agriculture Minister says Ottawa's support programs have already delivered more than a billion dollars to Canadian livestock producers. But Gerry Ritz says federal officials are still looking at other options to help farmers. Gerry Ritz was in Ottawa.

Canada's pork industry calling for a bail out - Professor, U of Guelph

Our next guest believes if governments want to save the hog industry they should leave it alone and let the producers sort it out. Sylvain Charlebois is a professor of food distribution at the University of Guelph. He joined us from Guelph, Ontario.

This segment was produced by The Current's Sujata Berry and Josh Bloch.

Other segments from today's show:

America, But Better: The Canada Party Manifesto

China's economy teeters, Canada cringes