Trade Concerns May Cause Rising Pork Production Challenges

Nov 06, 2017

By Dan Orlando

Uncertainty surrounding the United States’ future involvement in global trade pacts could put retailers in a precarious position after the pork industry prepped itself for increased production over the past year.

Chip Whalen, vice president of education and research at Commodity & Ingredient Hedging LLC, cited 6.5% growth in the domestic sow herd in order to keep pace with the opening of new processing plants throughout the country.

“A lot of this expansion was done with the idea that we’re seeing a growth in global demand, and the U.S. is well placed to take advantage of that,” said Whalen.

“There are certainly a lot of headwinds too,” he added. “The biggest thing that people are concerned about right now is the renegotiation of these trade agreements, particularly NAFTA. “

Whalen also said that the U.S. exit of the Trans-Pacific Partnership compounded the concerns. He pointed out that Mexico currently imports about one-third of the pork that America exports, with about 25% of the haul being sent to Japan.

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CEOs of the Industry, we sit down with Dr. Jay Miller, CEO of The Maschhoffs, to explore his remarkable journey from veterinary consultant to executive leader at one of America’s largest family-owned pork production companies.

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Looking ahead, he shares his five-year vision for The Maschhoffs and gives us a personal peek in the Fast Five round, where he reveals leadership insights, the best advice he’s received, and the three words that define The Maschhoffs in 2025.