Latest News From National Pork Board - NPB

It’s a bond that’s hard to put into words. Not only do these four young leaders share an unmistakable connection and friendship that ties directly to purpose, but they have a way of selflessly putting each other first.

Change starts with you, National Pork Board president Bob Ruth passionately shared with pork producers during the National Pork Industry Forum in Chicago. Here's why your voice is needed now. 

“When the world tests you and times get tough, remember you will get better.” During a college football game, Chris Norton suffered a debilitating spinal cord injury. Doctors said he had a 3% chance to ever move again.

Were 2023 pork exports a blip – an unexpected, temporary deviation from the general trend? Courtney Knupp, National Pork Board’s vice president of international market development, says not by a long shot. 

Exports were a shining star for the U.S. pork industry in 2023, says National Pork Board's Courtney Knupp. And with the market dynamics at play, that means a lot to a U.S. pork producer’s bottom line.  

It’s no surprise the 2023 economic crisis is at the center of winter trade show chatter and producer conversations, says National Pork Board's Brett Kaysen, who shares an inside look at his conversations with producers.

Across the U.S., numerous pork products are being showcased in convenience stores, driving demand for high-quality pork and encouraging consumers to purchase pork more frequently. Here's a peek.

The National Pork Producers Council and the National Pork Board proudly unveil the dynamic lineup for the Pork Leadership Institute's (PLI) class of 2024.

The National Pork Board and Showpig announced a strategic partnership to enhance and support the show pig industry on Wednesday at the Legends and Dreamers Showpig Summit held in Nashville, Tenn.

Do you know any graduate students who are passionate about the pork industry? If so, encourage them to apply for the 2024 Real Pork Scholars program. Applications are now available for the 2024 cohort.

Meet the nine graduate students selected for the inaugural 2023 Real Pork Scholars cohort designed to offer professional mentorship and build a strong peer-to-peer network and professional training foundation.

The National Pork Board's flagship certification programs have been confirmed to be compliant with ISO Technical Specification 34700, recognizing pig farmers' commitment to the highest level of care and well-being.  

Traceability is not a new concept, says National Pork Board chief veterinarian Dusty Oedekoven. He shares why its time for change, along with producers Joe Dykhuis and Alan Wulfekuhle and veterinarian Clayton Johnson. 

Why is traceability is at the center of so many conversations today? “Traceability is the missing link to industry disease eradication and proving regional disease-free status,” says Michigan pork producer Joe Dykhuis.

National Pork Board's vice president of nutrition health and wellness transformation Kara Elizabeth (Behlke) Ungerman, 40, passed away due to complications after giving birth to her firstborn child on Aug. 4.

Here's why National Pork Board has decided to “go fish where the fish are” in multicultural markets where pork is popular – but more growth can occur by focusing on driving demand amongst multicultural consumers.

The National Pork Board recently announced a new five-year effort to address consumer questions related to the pork industry and strengthen consumers’ confidence in choosing pork for their plate.

In Part 1 (Time to Shake Things Up in the Meat Business), speakers at the 2023 World Pork Expo talked about changing consumers’ mindset on pork loins. Here’s what the industry plans to do.

Here's a look at the National Pork Board's four newly elected officers for the 2023-2024 term, who will represent the 60,000 U.S. pig farmers who pay into the Pork Checkoff.

The National Pork Board announces Dr. David Newman, renowned expert in pork marketing, as the senior vice president for market growth, effective June 19, 2023.

Minnesota farmer and National Pork Board board member, Dale Stevermer, advocated for U.S. Pork at the G7 Agriculture Ministers' Meeting in Japan using his personal Pork Cares Farm Impact Report. 

How well do you know the newest members of the National Pork Board's board of directors? Here's why these producers said yes to representing the country's pork producers and a few things you may not know about them.

As an Iowa pork producer, Trish Cook realizes she is fortunate to have many opportunities to talk with peers at events nearby. But for Cook, one reason she attends national events is to grow her circle even wider.

Jamie Burr, an industry veteran with over 20 years of experience in sustainability and environmental program leadership, is the National Pork Board's first Chief Sustainability Officer. Here's a look at what's ahead.

David Newman shares his perspectives from the National Retail Benchmarking Audit that quantifies the quality and consistency of fresh pork loins in the retail meat case along with numerous other factors.

African swine fever fatigue is real, says Patrick Webb at the National Pork Board. Since ASF rocked China in 2018, U.S. pork producers have been bombarded with messages to do their part to protect the country.

The amount of information coming at the average person each day is overwhelming. Just think of how that increases during an event like the National Pork Industry Forum. Industry leaders cut through the clutter.

Hailed the “smartest man in the room” by many producers, Ron Plain has spent his career focused on his passion for education and his passion for the pork industry. Here's how the industry honored him at Pork Forum.

The room roared with applause as former Iowa Pork Producers Association Executive Director Mike Telford was honored with the Paulson-Whitmore State Executive Award on March 9 at the National Pork Industry Forum.

The Pork Industry Forum kicked off in Orlando, Fla. Admittedly the scenery of sunny Florida is a beautiful sight for producers – but NPPC CEO Bryan Humphreys says the forum in itself is a beautiful concept, too.

Sunshine and bacon. Could there be anything better? Check out these tips to help first-time attendees (and reminders for pros) as they prepare for one of the industry’s most impactful meetings of the year.

National Pig Day is the perfect day to announce the dates of the 2023 World Pork Expo, where a milestone 35th anniversary will be celebrated at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa, from June 7-9.

Growing demand in a mature market isn’t easy. USMEF’s Gerardo Rodriguez told Pork Leadership Institute participants that it requires creating new channels and new products during their recent trip to Mexico City.

The National Pork Producers Council and the National Pork Board are proud to announce the 19 pork producers selected to join the Pork Leadership Institute's class of 2023.

New studies show U.S. pork will need to differentiate itself beyond being a low-cost supplier if it wants to continue to grow its export market share in an increasingly competitive global pork market. 

Pork producer input is needed for an industry-wide survey that’s being conducted by AgCareers.com. Here's how you can receive a $25 Amazon card while helping the pork industry.

What happens when you take a veterinarian, a business manager, a recruiter and a sow farm manager to Mexico? OK, this might sound like the start of a bad joke, but the answer is simple.

Why does the Mexico export market matter so much to U.S. pork? This is just one of the questions the Pork Leadership Institute class will ask as they do a deep dive of the pork market in Mexico this week.

Ten years ago, Courtney Knupp traveled to Mexico as part of Pork Leadership Institute. Little did she realize then how her path would make a full circle a decade later.

PIC and the National Pork Board are teaming up to develop a framework that will help demonstrate the valuable role genetics play in creating a more sustainable protein supply. 

Recognizing the efforts of two longtime U.S. Animal Health Association members, USAHA awarded the prestigious Medal of Distinction honors.

What happens when you change up the grocery store meat case and position ground pork right next to its competitors? 

Pork producers have a lot to be proud of when it comes to sustainable production practices, says Ashley McDonald, NPB’s vice president of sustainability. Now it’s time to quantify it. 

Biosecurity dominated the discussion at the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference this week. Although sow farm and boar stud biosecurity are always critical, more time was devoted to discuss wean-to-harvest biosecurity.

I’d like to pretend interviewing superstar Luke Bryan didn’t get my heart racing just a little, but it did. Here's an inside look at what I learned.

For country music superstar and five-time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan, saying yes to be the face of National Pork Board’s Mythbusting 2.0 campaign was an easy decision. Farm Journal's PORK has the exclusive.

To build resilience and solid market relationships, it’s increasingly important for the U.S. pork industry to have options.

As a pork producer, Joe Dykhuis admits he likes to know where his money goes. That’s one of the reasons why he joined a trade mission to the United Kingdom. He wanted to see Pork Checkoff dollars at work.

With all the places the U.S. pork industry can focus international market development, why the United Kingdom? 

A robust processing industry and strong incomes make Chile an optimal market for growth in U.S. pork imports.