Whether everyone’s favorite college basketball team is looking good as we head deeper into the NCAA Tournament’s March Madness or not, one thing’s for sure—the Ohio Pork Council is putting pork as the No.1 seed to win.

While listening to some of the brightest minds discuss hard topics like sow mortality and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, I am reminded change won’t happen unless we get honest with ourselves.

The economic environment of both the beef and pork industries has changed. Capacity utilization for both beef and pork has a significant impact on margins and the market impact goes beyond supply and demand.

Zeke McCullen of Clinton, N.C., was awarded the Emerging Leader Award, recognizing a pork producer aged 40 or younger who has contributed to the pork industry in North Carolina and exhibits potential for leadership.

We are no longer in the “olden days” when a producer had to drive to the site to see if the barn ventilation was operating correctly because he made a ventilation change the day before based on a snapshot in time.

Cattle feeding margins improved as prices advanced. Beef packer margins improved but losses remain in triple digits as market-ready supplies remain tight. Pork producer margins gain on higher prices.