The National Pork Board team was out in full force during the Info Expo part of the 2016 Ag Media Summit. The bacon inspired photo booth had ag media professionals lining up. I took time to talk with Cindy Cunningham, director of communications for the National Pork Board, to learn more about some top priorities Pork Checkoff has in plan for producers and consumers across the country.
The Pork Checkoff has introduced an emergency news text service to help inform the pork industry in the event of a major pork crisis. PorkCrisis Alert will immediately notify opted-in producers of an emergency of national scope. Simply text “PorkCrisis” to 97296 to opt in for the alert system.
“One thing we really want to do is help our producers should there be a situation in the industry. If there is a crisis emergency, producers can get word right away and then they will know what to do on their farm to provide the best care to their pigs in that particular situation.”
We are also just a few months away from the implementation of the new Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) for medically important feed-grade antibiotics and prescription rule for water-based antibiotics. The National Pork Board has stressed ‘Don’t Wait’ to be informed to pork producers.
“January 1, 2017 is the deadline for change. We need to make sure our producers understand what they need to do to be compliant with the new rules. One thing we want those outside of our industry to understand is what our producers do to care for their pigs, how they use antibiotics currently.”
Cindy added that many who don’t understand our industry believe there is an over-abundance of antibiotics used. However, that just isn’t true. “Our producers are using antibiotics to give good care to their pigs. This also provides a safe, wholesome food supply. It runs hand in hand. We know consumers have questions and we are happy to answer them.”
Listen to my complete interview with Cindy to hear more about where you can go to learn more about #RealPigFarming. Cindy Cunningham, National Pork Board
View and download photos from the event here: 2016 AMS Photo Album
