By Rachel Schulte, DVM
Wow – it was good to be back in Des Moines for the World Pork Expo!
It felt even more like the best parts of both a family and high school reunion this year, too. My memories of the event mostly center around road-tripping from Illinois as a kid, attending as a summer intern with the Swine Veterinary Internship Program, and walking through the swine barns with my then-boyfriend and now-husband, Kyle.
In 2018, I met my baby niece for the first time at the Expo. This year, I unexpectedly ran into my first cousin once removed. We talked about his memories of working at Unit 3 of the old family farm. He had a few new stories to share, and so did I. The foot traffic was pretty steady this year, though, and even though I did get the chance to talk to many people, there were some familiar faces I missed.
This year, my husband did not attend, because he had too much going on at home with disease breaks and summer maintenance projects. Of course, that meant I spent a fair amount of time explaining his absence. I imagine it’s the same thing that would happen if I showed up to a family reunion alone. Everyone would ask where Kyle was, and then nod understandingly. When you are part of a farm family, you accept the lifestyle and demands that go with it. The work has to get done, and it rarely happens on the schedule that we think it will.
One of the diseases that we’re dealing with as an industry – PRRS 1-4-4 Lineage 1C Minnesota strain – was covered in a special National Pork Producers Council (NPPC)/Swine Health Information Center (SHIC)-sponsored meeting during the World Pork Expo .
The virus appears to infect pig populations as if there were no biosecurity measures in place, and it is challenging us to think differently about biosecurity. The expectation is that the virus spread is not going to slow down.
As of the end of May, there were 14 production systems impacted by the virus— an estimated 80,000 sows. Growing pig performance is terrible, with post-weaning mortality still in the double digits at five to six months post-break.
The overall atmosphere of the World Pork Expo this year, however, was overwhelmingly optimistic. We all have good reason to be positive, given the current market conditions. A twist to all of the optimism is the lack of talk of expansion. As excited as we are about profitability, we aren’t following that up with plans for new construction. Booths and tents for farm construction groups didn’t appear as busy, and, outside of speculation on the new packing plant, nobody seemed too eager to discuss new construction.
My trip to Des Moines, Iowa, wouldn’t have been complete without a detour through southern Iowa to check in on some E. coli pigs. Three days at the World Pork Expo left me feeling energized for the year ahead. Next year should be good – can’t wait!
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