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First Monarch Electric Autonomous Tractor Lands in the Midwest
First Monarch Electric Autonomous Tractor Lands in the Midwest

The University of Missouri became the first college to land an electric autonomous tractor, a tool that will drive teaching and research into the future.

Over 30,000 Pigs Culled in Italy's North to Counter African Swine Fever
Over 30,000 Pigs Culled in Italy's North to Counter African Swine Fever

Almost 34,000 pigs at 12 farms in the northern Italian region of Lombardy have been culled to counter the spread of African swine fever, a spokesperson for the region said on Wednesday.

NPPC Welcomes New Director of Policy Communications
NPPC Welcomes New Director of Policy Communications

Meghan Cline has joined the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) as director of policy communications.

How Does Your Utility Machinery Roster Stack Up?
How Does Your Utility Machinery Roster Stack Up?

Push, scoop, lift and dig — equipment that plays the game year-round.

Thoughts Worth Repeating from the 2023 Leman Swine Conference
Thoughts Worth Repeating from the 2023 Leman Swine Conference

From PEDV to pork productivity in difficult times, the conversations that took place at the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference covered a wide expanse of topics. Here are a few thoughts worth repeating. 

Pennsylvania Pork Producers Council's Strike Out Hunger Campaign Concludes Successful 2023 Season
Pennsylvania Pork Producers Council's Strike Out Hunger Campaign Concludes Successful 2023 Season

"Protein in often in short supply for food banks and this sponsorship allows those in need to have access to a nutritious, wholesome protein source—pork," says Courtney Gray with Pennsylvania Pork Producers Council.

Tailgate Food Safety Before, During and After the Game
Tailgate Food Safety Before, During and After the Game

A tailgate party should be full of fun, not foodborne illness.

Pig productivity in the United States continues to improve.
Piglets Have to Eat

The first few weeks of a pig's life are important for their health and growth potential and can also be a challenge with changes in environment and diet. Here's some tips on how to help them thrive from the beginning.

A Quest to Improve Profitability for U.S. Pig Farmers
A Quest to Improve Profitability for U.S. Pig Farmers

From lactose alternatives to the effects of varying feed intake levels during early gestation when sows are housed in a free-access housing setting, Rafe Royall is on a mission to improve profitability for pig farmers.

Cybersecurity is More Than Just Resetting Your Password
Cybersecurity is More Than Just Resetting Your Password

Cybersecurity is no longer just about avoiding those sketchy phishing emails or resetting our passwords. It’s about being aware of our online presence in animal ag and how that may make us vulnerable to extremists.

When Stress Stacks Up: 8 Ways to Minimize Weaning Stress in Pigs
When Stress Stacks Up: 8 Ways to Minimize Weaning Stress in Pigs

When you consider the number of stressors wean pigs face, it’s no surprise that starting pigs in the nursery can be challenging. So, the question becomes, what can you do to help? Here are eight tips to reduce stress.

Pork Industry Leaders Share Urgent Messages at Fall Fly-in
Pork Industry Leaders Share Urgent Messages at Fall Fly-in

"Speaking up for our industry is critical to having lawmakers understand that decisions they make in Washington affect how we can continue to provide safe, nutritious food," says NPPC's Scott Hays.

U.S. Meat Export Federation Takes Producers on International Tour to Boost Meat Exports
U.S. Meat Export Federation Takes Producers on International Tour to Boost Meat Exports

U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO, Dan Halstrom, recently shed light on an international producer and grower tour, as well as the current state of U.S. meat exports.

$800,000 USDA Grant to Create Integrative Data Platform for Major Swine Diseases
$800,000 USDA Grant to Create Integrative Data Platform for Major Swine Diseases

A newly funded study led by Kimberly VanderWaal aims to create an “integrative data science” platform to predict the ability of PRRSV-2 variants to provoke an immune response and spread across farms.

When Stress Stacks Up: It’s Time to Make Weaning a Better Experience
When Stress Stacks Up: It’s Time to Make Weaning a Better Experience

One day, he’s hanging out with his brothers, basking in the warmth of his mom. The next day, he gets mixed in with his neighbors and finds himself in a new home. Here's why getting pigs off to a good start is essential.

The Fight for Pork Producers’ and Consumers’ Choice Continues
The Fight for Pork Producers’ and Consumers’ Choice Continues

The uncertainty surrounding Proposition 12 is one reason why Scott Hays, a Missouri pork producer and president of the National Pork Producers Council, says he’s not interested in changing how his farm produces pork. 

Profit Tracker: Feeder Margins Decline
Profit Tracker: Feeder Margins Decline

Post-holiday prices held firm but rising costs cut cattle feeding margins last week. Pork producer margins at breakeven.

Olymel Announces Closure of Two More Pork and Poultry Plants
Olymel Announces Closure of Two More Pork and Poultry Plants

Olymel LP is planning to close two more plants in the coming months, affecting about 400 jobs in the company.

Farm Stress Affects Kids, Too: Here’s What You Need to Know
Farm Stress Affects Kids, Too: Here’s What You Need to Know

It's no wonder farmers experience higher levels of anxiety and depression because of the many factors they deal with that are out of their control. But how does that affect their family? A new study sheds light.

How Do Obesity and Heat Stress Affect Reproductive Health?
How Do Obesity and Heat Stress Affect Reproductive Health?

The rationale behind a newly funded National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences study led by Iowa State's Aileen Keating is that many metabolic changes are similar between obese and heat stressed animals.

What Makes 2023 Land Sales Different Than 2022 or 2021?
What Makes 2023 Land Sales Different Than 2022 or 2021?

Doug Hensley from Hertz Real Estate answers the question, "How much do crop prices impact the decision-making process of farmland buyers" and shares how this year is shaping up to be a bit busier than anticipated.

Foreign Animal Disease: The Threat Isn’t Going Away for Pork Producers
Foreign Animal Disease: The Threat Isn’t Going Away for Pork Producers

Although there is no shortage of topics the U.S. pork industry needs to wrap its head around right now, National Pork Producers Council CEO Bryan Humphreys says foreign animal disease continues to be a high priority.

Around the Ring: What’s the Best Piece of Advice You’ve Heard Lately? 
Around the Ring: What’s the Best Piece of Advice You’ve Heard Lately? 

One may argue teenagers have a lot of learning left to do, but I could argue they are wiser than they get credit for. After all, they are in a period of life where they hear a lot of advice from well-meaning people.

Do You Love Pepperoni? Here Are a Few Ways to Prove It
Do You Love Pepperoni? Here Are a Few Ways to Prove It

Who loves pepperoni? Prove how much you love one of America's favorite ways to spice up a pizza by checking out Hormel's exclusive "Pepperoni Shop" leading up to National Pepperoni Pizza Day.

SHIC Issues RFP for Tongue Tip Diagnostic Sample Research
SHIC Issues RFP for Tongue Tip Diagnostic Sample Research

SHIC’s research priority is to understand the potential breadth of tongue tips as a sample type for monitoring emerging diseases. Here's why.

Mycotoxins: What You Need to Know to Protect Your Swine Operation Now
Mycotoxins: What You Need to Know to Protect Your Swine Operation Now

Although mycotoxin monitoring makes headlines each harvest season, it should stay top of mind year-round. Active mycotoxin surveillance is key to protecting the health and productivity of your swine operation. 

New rule aims to give H-2A workers new protections
New rule aims to give H-2A workers new protections

The proposal would strengthen protections for farmworkers in the H-2A program and help prevent abuses that undermine wages and standards for all agricultural workers, according to the Department of Labor.

Proposed Legislation Seeks to Analyze Livestock Industry Consolidation
Proposed Legislation Seeks to Analyze Livestock Industry Consolidation

The Livestock Consolidation Research Act would direct a study on the impact of livestock industry consolidation, and a report about how this has affected new market entrants, access to resources and purchasing power.

Porcine Sapovirus: Why Diagnostic Diligence is Crucial
Porcine Sapovirus: Why Diagnostic Diligence is Crucial

Narrowly focusing on a single pathogen during a diagnostic investigation is risky, experts agreed during a porcine sapovirus webinar. A narrow focus could result in missed detections of emerging or less common pathogens.

What Happens When Soybean Meal Levels are Increased in Swine Diets?
What Happens When Soybean Meal Levels are Increased in Swine Diets?

Caitlyn Wileman, an Iowa State University Ph.D. student, is studying the changes in the microbiome of the pig and its manure when fed different levels of soybean meal. Here's why she's an up-and-coming leader to know.

Singapore Scientists Find New Strains of Influenza A Virus in Pigs
Singapore Scientists Find New Strains of Influenza A Virus in Pigs

Duke-NUS Medical School announced the discovery of several previously unknown strains of swine influenza viruses that have been circulating unnoticed in Cambodian pig populations over the past 15 years.

The Path to a PRRS-Resistant Pig: A Look at What’s Next
The Path to a PRRS-Resistant Pig: A Look at What’s Next

Where is the pork industry on its path to a PRRS-resistant pig? Matt Culbertson, chief operating officer at PIC, provides an update.

JYGA Technologies Unveils a New Wireless Feed Bin Sensor
JYGA Technologies Unveils a New Wireless Feed Bin Sensor

JYGA Technologies has launched a new product, GESTAL L-Track, that provides a solution to monitor the level of feed in bins in real time.

Pork Headlines: Niman Ranch Awards Nearly $250K in Scholarships, AgCareers.com Announces Opportunity
Pork Headlines: Niman Ranch Awards Nearly $250K in Scholarships, AgCareers.com Announces Opportunity

AgCareers.com announces the Feed Your Future scholarship application period is open. Niman Ranch awards nearly $250,000 in scholarships at its 25th annual Hog Farmer Appreciation Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa.

John Phipps: Trying to Explain the Unexplainable in China
John Phipps: Trying to Explain the Unexplainable in China

China's GDP growth could possibly drop lower than the U.S. this year. In fact, fewer and fewer sectors are healthy, and only then by direct government intervention.

From Soil to Plate: Cover Crops Initiative Aims to Boost Soil Health and Your Bottom Line
From Soil to Plate: Cover Crops Initiative Aims to Boost Soil Health and Your Bottom Line

“The more links that we can link together to form a chain, just like on a farm, the longer that chain is, the more that we can do with it,” explains Jamie Burr with National Pork Board.

July Pork Exports Surge, Beef Exports Decline
July Pork Exports Surge, Beef Exports Decline

Building on a robust first-half performance, July exports of U.S. pork continued to outpace year-ago levels, while beef continues to find a challenging export environment.

Profit Tracker: Packer Gambit Pays Dividends
Profit Tracker: Packer Gambit Pays Dividends

Reducing slaughter and putting less beef tonnage on the market has helped beef packers regain some profit margin. Pork producer margins decline.

IPEF Talks Must Address Technical Barriers to Trade
IPEF Talks Must Address Technical Barriers to Trade

U.S. pork producers are concerned the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity talks won’t address tariffs and market access issues, including sanitary and phytosanitary measures, that restrict their exports. 

5 Emerging Types of Consumer: A Breakdown of Meat Eaters
5 Emerging Types of Consumer: A Breakdown of Meat Eaters

Consumer trends change, and your livestock operation can benefit from understanding how the meat case choices connect back to your operation. 

Tyson Foods to Deploy Driverless Trucks in Arkansas
Tyson Foods to Deploy Driverless Trucks in Arkansas

Tyson Foods is deploying autonomous refrigerated box trucks to bolster Tyson routes in Northwest Arkansas. Operating 18 hours a day, these driverless trucks will deliver products to distribution and storage facilities.

West Coast Longshoremen Ratify Six-Year Port Labor Contract Agreement
West Coast Longshoremen Ratify Six-Year Port Labor Contract Agreement

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union agreed to a six-year contract, effective July 1, 2022 through July 1, 2028.

African Swine Fever Strikes in Sweden for First Time Ever
African Swine Fever Strikes in Sweden for First Time Ever

A dead wild boar in Sweden has tested positive for African swine fever (ASF). This is the first time for the deadly ASF virus to rear its head in this country, Sweden's Veterinary Institute said on Wednesday.

Animal Agriculture Alliance's 2023 College Aggies Online Program Starts Sept. 11
Animal Agriculture Alliance's 2023 College Aggies Online Program Starts Sept. 11

Several industry experts and ag influencers fill the roster of mentors for The Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2023 College Aggies Online (CAO) program, with over $20,000 in scholarships available to participants.

Federal Agents Seize Shipments with Over a Half Ton of Prohibited Pork
Federal Agents Seize Shipments with Over a Half Ton of Prohibited Pork

More than 1,000 pounds of pork were intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists at the Louisville Port of Entry. Here's what

KENT to Celebrate Grand Opening of Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex at Iowa State
KENT to Celebrate Grand Opening of Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex at Iowa State

KENT Corporation will celebrate the grand opening of the Iowa State University KENT Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex on Sept. 8.

Importer Recalls Frozen, Raw Pork Products
Importer Recalls Frozen, Raw Pork Products

Importer AJC International, Inc., of Atlanta, Ga., is recalling approximately 17,428 pounds of frozen, raw pork products that were not presented for import reinspection into the United States, the USDA’s FSIS announced.

Pork Industry Update: Merck Animal Health, Missouri Pork, NOVUS, Lallemand Animal Nutrition
Pork Industry Update: Merck Animal Health, Missouri Pork, NOVUS, Lallemand Animal Nutrition

From new hires to new opportunities, here's a look at some recent news from Merck Animal Health and ByoPlanet, the Missouri Pork Association, NOVUS International and Lallemand Animal Nutrition. 

What’s the Greatest Challenge in the Swine Industry Facing Your Generation?
What’s the Greatest Challenge in the Swine Industry Facing Your Generation?

From consumer preferences to labor, the challenges are stacked for the next generation of swine enthusiasts entering the pork industry. Despite the obstacles, five Ph.D. students share their optimism and viewpoints. 

Hillshire Recalls Nearly 16,000 Lb. of Smoked Sausage Products
Hillshire Recalls Nearly 16,000 Lb. of Smoked Sausage Products

Hillshire Brands Company of St. Joseph, Mo., recalled approximately 15,876 pounds of blended meat and poultry smoked sausage products that may be contaminated with bone fragments.