A Quest to Improve Profitability for U.S. Pig Farmers
Meet Rafe Royall, our latest addition to Farm Journal's PORK's Up & Coming Leaders feature. We are showcasing some of the fresh, new voices of the pork industry who combine innovative thought and work ethic with scientific savvy and a passion to make a difference.
Age: 26
Education: Bachelor’s degree, Texas Tech University; master’s degree, Kansas State University; pursuing Ph.D. at Kansas State University
Hometown: Garden City, Texas
Q. How did you become interested in pursuing a career in the swine industry?
A. Growing up my dad was a county Extension agent, so I was emersed in the show pig industry from an early age and quicky knew I had a passion for working with pigs.
Q. How have internships provided you with direction?
A. Following my freshman year at Texas Tech, I had the opportunity to intern with the Texas Pork Producers Association. Through this internship, I was able to interact with Texas producers of all sizes, primarily in the show industry. But it was also my first true exposure to large-scale swine production. During this experience working with production systems in the Texas Panhandle, it cemented my passion in the swine industry and in particular, nutrition.
Q. Describe any undergraduate research experiences you’ve had.
A. In the summer of 2019, I worked with Dr. Kiah Berg at Kansas State University (now at Pipestone Applied Research) on a research project for her Ph.D. dissertation. Working with the Improving Pig Survivability Project, we conducted an experiment analyzing the effects of meal timing prior to farrowing, on farrowing duration, and preweaning mortality rates of piglets. The focus of this project was to help alleviate high preweaning mortality rates that are a problem in the U.S. swine industry. This incredible experience began to develop a love for applied swine nutrition research and solidified my goals to pursue a Ph.D. and a career in the swine industry.
Q. Describe any other swine-related experiences you’ve had.
A. Growing up in the Texas show pig industry, there were numerous experiences that made me certain from an early age that I wanted my life to revolve around the swine industry. Some of the most influential experiences took place while working with producers such as Schaefer Livestock and Beyers Farms Texas. It was through these opportunities I fell in love with taking care of pigs during all stages of production and developed a great respect for utilizing the most up-to-date science to meet and exceed production goals.
Q. Tell us about your current research.
A. My Ph.D. research has been extremely diverse. I am currently working on multiple projects that I am excited about, that I hope will rapidly improve the profitability of producers across the U.S. First, I studied the effects of two novel carbohydrate sources in replacement of lactose in nursery pig diets. As the price of lactose sources continues to rise, many producers are searching for alternatives that maintain growth rate while reducing diet cost. Following this, in conjunction with PIC, I conducted a series of studies looking at the threonine and tryptophan requirements of finishing pigs. These trials were conducted to update PIC’s recommendations for their customers. In addition, I am working with JBS Live Pork on two commercial sow trials. The first aims to determine the impact of various feeder designs during lactation on sow and piglet performance. Secondly, we are studying the effects of varying feed intake levels during the early gestation period on conception rate, farrowing rate and piglet birth weight when sows are housed in a free-access housing setting.
Q. What is your generation’s greatest challenge?
A. In my opinion, the greatest challenge and opportunity will be keeping up with ever-changing consumer expectations and maintaining a high level of transparency with the public. We are faced with the difficulty of feeding the ever-growing population while maintaining a nutritious, yet cost-effective, protein source all while adhering to consistently more rigid environmental and animal welfare expectations. Therefore, it is increasingly important for producers to educate both the public and our lawmakers on our practices and demonstrate our commitment to produce pork ethically, sustainably, and responsibly for our nation and the world.
