Pork leaders converge on D.C. for big talks

Sep 18, 2023

D.C. just became the hotspot for pork industry leaders. More than a hundred of them took over the city as part of the National Pork Producers Council’s Spring meet-up. With a lineup of experts and decision-makers, it was quite the event.

Scott Hays, the big boss at NPPC, started things off. He shared just how crucial these face-to-face chats with Congress members can be. "By being here," he noted, "you're giving them a real glimpse into our world."

So, what were the big talks about? Here's a sneak peek:

2023 Farm Bill: This one's all about protection against threats like foreign diseases and expanding markets. After a string of challenges post-2018, from pandemic woes to trade hiccups, this Bill might be the fresh start the industry needs.
California Proposition 1: NPPC feels the farm bill needs a federal solution for the issues brought up by this proposition, especially as it overlooks decades of scientific and animal welfare progress.
Trade: The U.S. sold a staggering $7.6 billion worth of pork to over a hundred countries in 2022 alone. Expanding this? On the agenda!
Labor Woes and the H-2A Visa Program: Despite attractive pay packages, the pork industry's facing a labor crunch. Maybe tweaking the visa rules could help?

Source : wisconsinagconnection

Video: What Happens When Pigs Adapt to High Soybean Meal Diets? - Gustavo Lima

In this special rerun episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Gustavo Lima, PhD candidate in Animal Science at Iowa State University, discusses how grow-finish pigs respond to high soybean meal diets. He explains the initial drop in feed intake, changes in backfat, later adaptation, energy efficiency, amino acid utilization, and the rise in nitrogen excretion at higher inclusion levels. Listen now on all major platforms!

Click here to read the full research article: https://academic.oup.com/jas/article/...

“Once they got adapted to the diet, they can handle higher levels of inclusion of soybean meal.”

Meet the guest: Gustavo Lima / gustavo-lima-a9867127 is a PhD candidate in Animal Science at Iowa State University whose work focuses on swine nutrition, ingredient characterization, energy metabolism, caloric efficiency, and applied data analysis. With more than 15 years of experience in swine production across Latin America, Gustavo also brings expertise in environmental control, performance evaluation, barn ventilation, and grow-finish housing. Learn more from Gustavo Lima on The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms.