5 Things People Were Talking About at the Iowa Pork Congress Trade Show

Jan 30, 2023

From new technology to improved feed products and from cupcakes to phone chargers, the Iowa Pork Congress trade show is always a must-see event. This year was no different and included a celebration “station” recognizing 50 years of the Iowa Pork Congress as well as the Pig Podium, a new opportunity for companies to share about their products. Between excellent educational sessions on the first floor to the eye-catching and informative displays on the second floor, I couldn’t see and do it all. But here are a few new products announced and messages shared in the thriving trade show.

HOG SLAT CUSTOMERS DISCUSS RETROFITTING FACILITIES FOR THE FUTURE
Remodeling existing production sites requires careful planning. Rob Brenneman of Brenneman Pork, P.J. Corns of JBS Pork and Alex Anderson of Seaboard Foods met on the Pig Podium stage on Wednesday to discuss their experience with large-scale remodeling projects.

The panelists stressed the need to design flexibility into any new project to allow for future unforeseen welfare changes. For example, constructing facilities with total slatted flooring makes it easy to change pen layouts. In addition, they expressed interest in technology that allows for remote monitoring of the building environment, especially that feature environmental controls linked to a cell phone. Anderson noted that this allows him to help inexperienced farm staff troubleshoot a problem even if he has to be several hours away from the site.

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Video: Season 7, Episode 1: Managing Risk and Seeing Opportunities in U.S. Pork Production

Today’s episode features three guests discussing the similarities and differences between pork production in the United States and Brazil, along with strategies for managing risk in today’s industry while recognizing and acting on opportunities. First, Dr. Anne Caroline de Lara, executive manager of live pig production at Seara Alimentos, a JBS company in Brazil, is joined by Dr. Matthew Turner, head of operations for JBS Live Pork. Together, they discuss how labor, climate and ventilation challenges vary between Brazil and the United States, while underscoring their shared commitment to raising healthy pigs. They also point to lessons producers in both countries can take from one another’s systems and on-farm experiences. Then, Brady Reicks, risk manager at Reicks View Farms, shares his perspective on risk management, drawing from his background in markets and his transition into farming. He discusses how protecting margins varies by operation and offers practical approaches producers can use to make marketing and business decisions with greater confidence rather than hesitation.

Both conversations were recorded at recent industry events focused on swine livability, including the International Conference on Pig Livability and Iowa Swine Day.