Bacon was on everyone’s mind on Wednesday at the Illinois State Capital as Illinois pig farmers, Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA) staff, and FFA state officers handed out BLT sandwiches to legislators and discussed the role that pork production plays in Illinois, the fourth-largest pork-producing state in the country.
IPPA celebrated the commemoration of Senate Joint Resolution 50, sponsored by Senator Tom Bennett (R-53), which designated May 1 as “Illinois Bacon Day.” IPPA used this as an opportunity to highlight how the pork industry supports over 57,000 jobs, contributing an estimated $13.8 billion dollars to the economy.
“This resolution declares May 1st as ‘Illinois Bacon Day’ to spotlight the importance of the pork industry in Illinois,” Bennett said in an IPPA release. “I am proud to represent pig farmers in my senate district.”
Senator Tom Bennett sponsored SJR 50, designating May 1 as “Illinois Bacon Day.”
According to the 2023 Bacon Market Report, the global bacon market size reached $68.5 billion in 2022. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach $86.6 billion by 2028, IPPA shared.
Studies show that the average American eats about 18 pounds of bacon each year. Illinois pork producers keep up with that demand by producing over 6 billion slices of bacon annually.
“Educating the public about pork production is extremely important to the Illinois Pork Producers Association,” IPPA president Cheryl Walsh said in a release. “We understand that many stakeholders don’t represent rural districts, and Illinois Bacon Day is a great way for pork producers to connect with legislators on a personal level and share our stories with them.”
Walsh, along with IPPA vice president Josh Maschhoff and IPPA at-large directors Bruce Brinkman and Kristi Smith, highlighted the daily challenges facing pig farmers such as market fluctuation in the prices of pork (due to supply and demand, international trade, and consumer preferences), environmental concerns, (producers are always striving to become more sustainable for future generations), high feed costs (which can account for up to 70% of production costs and various factors like weather, transportation, and commodity prices), and preparedness for disease outbreaks.
“Illinois ranks fourth in the United States for pork production and our industry contributes $1.8 billion and over 10,000 jobs to the state’s economy,” Walsh added. “Our goal is to help stakeholders see the value in what we do and what we bring to the economy by teaching them about our industry. One thing we can all agree on is that we love bacon, and Illinois Bacon Day gives producers the opportunity to discuss the issues currently facing Illinois pig farmers with their legislators.”
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