NPPC requests federal intervention to increase pork exports

Jul 24, 2023

Amid one of the worst pork market downturns in recent memory, the National Pork Producers Council is requesting the federal government's help to increase export opportunities. NPPC and the Minnesota Pork Producers Association submitted a joint statement to Congresswoman Michelle Fishbach (R-Minn.) outlining the challenges in the pork industry and requesting assistance.

"Trade is vital to America's pork producers, who annually export about a quarter of their total production to more than 100 countries," the groups said. "[P]olicies that foster the free flow of goods and expand export markets – mostly through trade agreements – are critical to the continued success of America's pork producers, U.S. agriculture and the overall American economy. … To benefit America's farmers and grow U.S. exports, such trade deals must address market access and must eliminate tariffs on and non-tariff trade barriers to U.S. pork and other U.S. agricultural products."

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Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.