Uncle Pig-Sty and the whole Hogerson clan were happy, happy, happy at World Pork Expo as Automated Production Systems (AP) presented Hog Swine-asty for this year’s theme – and that’s a fact, Jack.. Every year AP has a different theme for their tender whole roast hog and they really go “whole hog” with costumes, music and even fun audience participation. … Read More
#Feedthe9 with More Pork, Fewer Resources
What if the world could produce 50% more pork using 434 million tons less feed, on 262 million less acres, and with 260 billion gallons less water? Think that’s possible? Well, Elanco Animal Health does. “Currently we’re able to produce enough pork for everyone across the globe to have access to 10.7 ounces of pork per week,” says Rob Aukerman, … Read More
Iowa Congressman is Animal Ag Advocate
Rep. Steve King (R-IA) paid a visit to World Pork Expo last week to talk with producers and learn more about the issues they are facing right now. The congressman represents the 4th district of the state in the northwest corner, bordering Minnesota, South Dakota and Nebraska, and he is a strong advocate for livestock producers. During the farm bill … Read More
NPPC Environmental Issues Update
National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) president-elect Dr. Ron Prestage of South Carolina provided an update on some environmental issues on the forefront for the hog industry during World Pork Expo last week. First of all, Prestage says pork producers are encouraged by Environmental Protection Agency administrator Gina McCarthy, who has been in the position for the past year or so. … Read More
USDA PEDv Action Announced at WPX
This year was the first time Tom Vilsack visited World Pork Expo as Secretary of Agriculture and he did so to announce federal actions to help combat porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) and porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV). First of all, Vilsack says there is now a Federal Order requiring the reporting of new detections of these viruses to its Animal and … Read More
COOL Not Cool with Mexico and Canada
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) provided an update on mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) during World Pork Expo this week. “We’re very concerned that if the current rule later this summer is ruled out of compliance by the WTO, the Canadians and Mexicans will then have a right to retaliate,” said NPPC Vice President John Weber of Iowa, … Read More
New Animal Ag Facility Lighting Debuts at WPX
As I mentioned in a post yesterday, there are loads of fun things to see, eat and learn about each year during the World Pork Expo. A new cool product that I ran across is an innovative new lighting system designed with the swine industry in mind. When speaking with Burlington-IA, Energyficient Systems CEO Chad Palmer (and designer) he explained … Read More
Legacy Common Swine Operations Audit Announced
Chris Novak, CEO of the National Pork Board, announced plans for a new common industry audit platform for pork producers, packers and processors. Using the existing Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA Plus) program as the foundation, the year-long audit team is nearing the final stages of completion and the initial common audit framework. The program was unveiled during World Pork … Read More
Economic Outlook for Pork Industry
Steve Meyer, Paragon Economics, provided an update on the economic outlook for the pork industry at the 2014 World Pork Expo on Thursday. “The grain situation, the cost situation, is considerably better than a year ago, somewhere in the neighborhood of $10 per hundred weight better on cost of production,” said Meyer, adding that the outlook for the corn crop … Read More
PRRS Loses Steam with BIVI Solutions
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica (BIVI) celebrated 20 years of PRRS (porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome) solutions during this year’s World Pork Expo. Reid Philips, DVM, technical manager for PRRS vaccines and BIVI outlined how far the swine industry has come in the last two decades in controlling the virus. Interestingly, Reid explained that in the 1980s when PRRS was first showing … Read More