From labor to technology, the opportunities to improve tomorrow’s pork operation continue to expand. Farm Journal’s PORK asked five pork industry leaders to share their perspectives on a variety of subjects, including what they would encourage pork producers to think about in the year ahead.
Featured allied industry voices include (top row, l to r): Chelcee Hindman, sales manager, North and Central America, Hamlet Protein; and Darrell Neuberger, technical services veterinarian, Tonisity. (back row, l to r):Rick Thomas, Co-Owner and Business Development, Ag Property Solutions; Marisa Bettin, key account manager, Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health; and Tony Weldon, swine business unit director, Huvepharma.
Q. What energizes you to do what you do day-in and day-out for the pork industry?
MB: Growing up on our family farrow-to-finish operation, passion for the industry came naturally and at a young age. My mom, dad and brother have always been involved in pork production and industry advocacy, and I see the same drive reflected in so many others in our sector. When you see folks work tirelessly each day to care for their animals, help feed the world and provide for their families, it gives you a greater sense of purpose. In short, it’s the good people in our industry and our collective mission that energize me.
CH: No matter what facet of the industry, I have always loved helping people identify their existing problems and determine what their future problems might be. Then, I enjoy helping them come up with strategies and solutions to solve them.
DN: The people in the pork industry. They are not only colleagues and friends, but they are also family.
RT: My personal why is the satisfaction I glean from knowing that the services my team and I provide each day directly impacts the food chain here at home and aboard. I begin each morning by asking myself what I can do to ease our producers’ burden and help them bring a more sustainable and low-cost product to the consumer. Protein is essential to humanity and being able to produce it in a more streamlined and efficient manner is critical to our future. Air, feed and water sustain all living beings, from humans to animals, the healthier and more enhanced the environment, the better the animals’ well-being.
TW: It’s really the people. The opportunity to work with pork producers who are engaged in something as noble as feeding the world and producing pork – to serve that need we have – I find that to be very rewarding. Of course, the people in ag are salt-of-the-earth people and easy for me to relate to. I enjoy the aspect of the people, the business and the customers we work for. Culture means a lot to me. Our culture at Huvepharma is built around a great team where individuals are less focused on who gets the credit. We work well together and support one another. Similarly in the pork industry, I see more of that spirit of collaboration and people wanting to work together – it’s refreshing.
Q. What is the biggest challenge you see on the horizon for the pork industry?
MB: The ability for pork producers to remain profitable under current market conditions is certainly an ongoing and impactful challenge. With supply chain issues, high input costs, labor uncertainty, a changing regulatory landscape and looming disease challenges, the market is certainly volatile. If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that the ability to remain nimble and adapt is of the utmost importance. Our industry has faced these challenges in the past and come out stronger, but now, more than ever, we must focus on being proactive, rather than reactive.
CH: We need to keep African swine fever (ASF) off our soil, but domestic challenges and trade challenges are right behind it. Diseases such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) and porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) have been a big burden lately, too. Our biggest domestic challenge is people. Without good people, you can’t accomplish anything. Global trade and politics play into our markets and our product as well. We always have more opportunity to capitalize on the domestic market.
DN: Consumer perception toward pork and the pork industry is a big challenge. Negative impressions such as waste/manure management, air pollution, odor and animal welfare are still at the forefront. The hog industry and hog farmers are well-regulated, compliant and committed to improving the environment for humans and the animals.
RT: It’s not on the horizon. It’s here. Animal health and well-being are huge, if not the most significant, industry challenge we face. COVID-19 demonstrated the impact of a worldwide virus on society and the world economy. The viruses and bacterial pathogens attacking our animal protein herds today, PRRS, PED, and avian influenza, are closely related to many human-borne viruses sharing the trait of lipid encapsulation. Thus, the good news is that the pandemic pushed science to quickly develop new vaccines and uncover new methods of combating this type of infectious agent. For this reason, we are working on a research project using knowledge gained during COVID-19 to minimize infectious agents in ag facilities. We know that many of these viruses are airborne, so being able to neutralize or clean the air of pathogens before they enter the barn is a major development to the enhancement of animal health.
TW: Foreign animal disease (FAD) — it’s top of mind for producers, but also for companies like Huvepharma. The impact that a disease like ASF or FMD would have on not only those directly involved in production, but on so many businesses that touch the pork industry. It’s very concerning that ASF has gotten as close as it has to the U.S.. I feel good about the work our industry has done. We have a lot of strategies in place to mitigate disease and manage through an outbreak. We need to continue to focus on biosecurity and good management practices.
Q. What is the greatest story coming out of the pork industry today?
MB: Our industry’s increasing transparency and advocacy is a very positive story in and of itself. We have so many producers – large and small – stepping up to tell their stories and share their passion for the industry. Importantly, this helps educate consumers and build consumer trust and confidence. This producer-level advocacy is what will continue to move our industry through an increasingly competitive and ever-changing consumer choice landscape. We need to keep our passion for raising animals at the forefront as we continue our mission to help feed the world.
CH: People and technology - The greatest asset we have in our industry is raising future leaders, who are passionate and talented at what they do. Science and technology have revolutionized pork production in the last 20 years, and it is exciting to see what the next 20 years and beyond will bring.
DN: Pork offers you similar nutrients as beef, but often with less fat and calories. Pork is an excellent source of protein, iron, vitamins and important minerals such as selenium, phosphorus and thiamine. Consumers are doing their best to eat healthier, and pork is becoming a more popular meat choice.
RT: Our producers desire to become better stewards of their resources and yet continue to be the safest food-delivering entity in the world for swine. They are passionate about food safety and health, but also about taking care of the environment and demonstrating great progress in the area of sustainability.
TW: In the past, there were a lot of silos in the pork industry. I see that changing continuously. I’m proud to see the alignment and collaboration. One example is the collaboration meetings between the National Pork Board and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC). Another example is NPPC’s Pork Alliance group. I appreciate that allied industry businesses who work with pork producers have a seat at the table and are bringing resources, and sharing ideas to develop solutions for a number of industry issues. Many are involved in their communities and helping extend the message of U.S. pork producers.
Q. What would you encourage pork producers to think about in the year ahead?
MB: In order to help move our industry forward and continue to adapt and grow, actively sharing our story is crucial. I’d encourage all industry stakeholders – regardless of your role – to get involved and be vocal. Work with your local, state and national level organizations and associations, find out how you can help advocate for your peers and educate your community. We will always face challenges, but if we come together with a unified voice to help promote our mission and our livelihoods, we’ll be stronger.
CH: Look at risk management and make sure you are close with your financial organization and risk management organization. Look outside your board of advisers to bring in different perspectives – sometimes we get so siloed in our industry. Look at the culture of your people. This past year has been really tough with the health challenges and everything going on globally and domestically. Make sure you have good relationships and an open-door policy with your team. Keep your team engaged and let them know you care, as this helps with retention and turnover rates.
DN: There are numerous pathways that can affect biosecurity in the swine industry, including vehicles, personnel, visitors, rodents, water sources, etc. Producers need to stay diligent with enforcing their protocols, continuing education opportunities and maintaining consistent awareness. Another concern is FAD awareness and prevention, as an FAD would be devasting to our domestic pork production.
RT: Technology is going to provide opportunities to enhance U.S. pork systems. We can solve some of our labor challenges through artificial intelligence and robotics. For example, drone technology will allow us to run a camera in the barn every 15 minutes to determine the health of the animals. The camera, equipped with infrared scanners, will provide critical information to the producer, like knowing if the animals have temperatures. Also, it will allow us to have a firsthand look at the sows in real-time. We will know if the pigs are getting up and down because they are uncomfortable or restless, posing a threat to their piglets. Robotic technology is already being used today in some barns to handle the labor-intensive job of power washing, freeing up staff time for other barn duties. Technology advancements are here, and as an industry, we need to get more comfortable with adopting new and sometimes intimidating advancements to challenge the processes we have been accustomed to for years.
TW: If you look back at the past couple of years and what it’s looked like for the industry and our world, it’s easy to get focused on day-to-day challenges. My advice? Continue to get engaged in supporting your industry. Look beyond your farm gate not only locally, but take a state, national and global perspective. Continue to tell your story and the story of the pork industry. There are a lot of great things we can share. If we aren’t all telling our story, it’s easy for those who have a less favorable viewpoint of our industry to tell it for us. Stay engaged and continue to do the good work our pork industry is focused on.
We will be uniting together June 6-12 for PORK Week across all of our Farm Journal platforms to elevate the important role the pork industry plays in feeding the world. Share your stories and post photos on social media using #PORKWeek22 to help us honor the pork industry. From “AgDay TV” to “AgriTalk” to “U.S. Farm Report” to PorkBusiness.com and everything in between, tune in and join us as we acknowledge the most noble profession there is: feeding people.
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Economists Urge Pig Farmers to Watch Out for These Threats to Pork Outlook
