Welcome to this year's Banff Pork Seminar "Riding the Highs and Lows".
The natural tendency is to become cynical and negative when we are battling the current challenges facing our industry. Change has become the norm for us and recently the changes seem to have been overwhelmingly negative.
We have all heard that opportunity arises out of adversity. I truly believe that there will be some substantial opportunities that come out of the next twelve months for those who are operating with their heads up. It is when we get so mired in our problems and cannot see the woods for the trees that we miss opportunities.
We have to look at the challenges of the coming year and ask ourselves how we can profit from them rather than simply survive. It may not be easy and it may not be immediate, but one thing is for sure: We will emerge from these challenges a more efficient and innovative industry than before.
There are plenty of "out of the box" thinkers in this year's Banff Pork Seminar to draw inspiration from. The Advisory Committee once again has identified an array of interesting and informative speakers.
Ron and Ruth Ball form the foundation of the Seminar and have again made sure of its success.
We again thank our sponsors for stepping up to the plate, especially Hypor / Genex Swine Group for their sponsorship of the Wednesday evening reception.
Lastly I would like to thank all of our delegates for the opportunity to have served you as Chairman of the Advisory Committee these past two years. It has been a pleasure and a privilege and an experience I will not soon forget. It is not everyday that a farm boy gets to stand in front of 800 professionals and try to sound intelligent!
Welcome to Banff 2004!
Ben Woolley
Chair, on behalf of the BPS Advisory Committee