The energy was incredible in Des Moines, Iowa, at the 2025 World Pork Expo on June 4-5. From record crowds to in-depth discussions on the latest pork industry trends, the event created an opportunity to energize, support and challenge pork producers and allied industry as they had back home.
Here’s a little snippet of the perspectives and ideas shared in conversations at the World Pork Expo.
- “When I need hope, I go to Arby’s at lunchtime and see the line wrapped around the building. Demand for meat is high, and it’s much more prevalent than the loud activists.” — Andy Curliss, vice president of strategic engagement for National Pork Producers Council
- “Everyone has a role in our trust factor as an industry.” — Kylee Deniz, executive director of Oklahoma Pork Council
- “2023 will go down as the worst year in pork producer profitability to date at over $30-per-head loss. 2024 was roughly breakeven. 2025 we’re seeing about a $15-per-head profit. If this proves true, this will be the quickest turnaround in pork producer profitability ever. But it says much more about how bad the situation was in 2023 and 2024 than it says about 2025.” — Lee Schultz, chief economist with Ever.Ag
- “Uncertainty is common for farmers. But you like it when the markets are calm and easy because that’s one less thing you have to worry about.” — Duane Stateler, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) president
- A digital presence is so important because “nowhere else do people ask more honest questions than Google,” — Susanna Elliott, chief marketing and communications officer for Alltech
- “Right now, there is no reason for a pork producer to panic about grain prices. We are not going to have another ethanol binge. Corn exports look to be contained by both waning world demand and Brazilian production.” — Joe Kerns, founder of Ag Rubicon
- “We work to turn science into soundbites to share the good things pork producers are already doing.” — Heather Fowler, director of producer and public health for the National Pork Board
- “We need a proactive, producer-driven response to the issues that will be on their way from Europe, so we’re evaluating farrowing housing with science.” — Stephanie Wetter, director of animal welfare for the National Pork Board
- “Do good things and talk about them. The research we do is as important as the communication about it.” — Frank Mitloehner, department of animal sciences director at UC–Davis
- “On-farrm reports makes me really hard to argue with, because I can tell [regulators] and I can show them.” — Lauren Servick, director of public policy, strategy and sustainability for the Minnesota Pork Board
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