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NPPC Outlines Pork Industry Priorities in House Ag Subcommittee Hearing

Scott Hays, a fifth-generation pork producer from Missouri and President of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), testified before the House Committee on Agriculture’s Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry as part of its hearing on “A Review of Animal Agriculture Stakeholder Priorities.”

NPPC appreciated the opportunity to advocate and discuss policy priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill – ranging from funding that supports the programs that safeguard the nation’s food supply against threats posed by foreign animal diseases to key initiatives that expand foreign markets for U.S. agricultural products.

Throughout his testimony, Hays outlined the tough economic challenges for pig farmers with hog prices having moderated significantly since 2022. Current losses are largely due to record-high production costs that have increased by about 50 percent since 2020. On top of that, the industry has faced trade retaliation, supply chain issues, labor shortages and threats from foreign animal disease outbreaks and the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent unfavorable decision on California Proposition 12.

      

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World Pork Expo: Tackling oxidative stress at critical stages in swine production

Video: World Pork Expo: Tackling oxidative stress at critical stages in swine production

Dr. Marlin Hoogland, veterinarian and Director of Innovation and Research at Feedworks, speaks to The Pig Site's Sarah Mikesell just after World Pork Expo about how metabolic imbalance – especially during weaning, late gestation and disease outbreaks – can quietly undermine animal health and farm profitability.

In swine production, oxidative stress may be an invisible challenge, but its effects are far from subtle. From decreased feed efficiency to suppressed growth rates, it quietly chips away at productivity.

Dr. Hoogland says producers and veterinarians alike should be on alert for this metabolic imbalance, especially during the most physiologically demanding times in a pig’s life.