Manitoba Pork has hired an engineering firm to study the cost of building new pig barns.

The province has essentially lifted its moratorium on pig barn construction with the implementation of a special pilot project.

Dennis Hodgkinson, president of DGH Engineering Ltd, has worked with the Manitoba Pork industry for almost 40 years.

He talks about where the biggest cost increases will be seen.

"The areas where there's been some significant impacts are those that have been cost created by migration in requirements such as environmental compliance, and migration in the cost of compliance with the building code," explained Hodgkinson. "Beyond that though it's mostly just a general acceleration in the cost of materials."

Hodgkinson says a 4,000 head finisher barn would cost about $2 million to build in 2016, compared to about $1.3 million back in 2001.