A local hog producer is weighing in on Maple Leaf's decision to reconfigure its hog and feed divisions.  Terry Simpson says yesterday's announcement Maple Leaf will be decreasing the number of hogs it processes annually from 7 million to between 4 and 5 million came as a surprise as Maple Leaf had previously announced it would be building a new plant in Saskatchewan. 
Simpson says Maple Leaf will now be focusing on high quality hogs, he says it won't affect him, however it will affect the industry.  He notes producers will have to make sure their hogs meet Maple Leaf's guidelines, he says it's a matter of hog genetics.  The changes to Maple Leaf include plans for their Brandon facility, supported by a double shift by the end of 2009, to meet all of the company's future fresh pork requirements.  Maple Leaf's other plants will either be sold, or in the case of its Marion Street plant in Winnipeg, integrated into Brandon.