National Pork Board Looking to the Future During Pork Industry Forum

published on 03/01/2010

Recovery and reinvigoration will be the focus of the National Pork Board during the board's March 3-4 meeting in Kansas City, Mo.  The board is seeking to improve the effectiveness of the Pork Checkoff's marketing and research programs in an effort to sustain the resurgence of the pork industry.  The board meeting will be held in conjunction with the pork industry's annual meeting, the National Pork Industry Forum, which will follow on March 5-6.

"Pork producers have struggled the past two years with high feed prices and low market prices," said Tim Bierman, a Larrabee, Ia., pork producer and president of the board. "As the industry works toward recovery, the Pork Checkoff needs to take a hard look at what else we can do to help producers by taking a fresh look at how we improve the return on investment for our Checkoff dollars.  That's why we'll be considering several new efforts in Kansas City that will keep us moving in the right direction."

The delegates attending Pork Forum will get the opportunity to preview new efforts aimed at repositioning pork with today's consumers.  Additionally, the delegates will get a glimpse of the pork industry's new Strategic Plan that the board approved in January.  These two elements are the foundation for the board's efforts to reinvigorate existing Pork Checkoff programs.

During its discussion of the strategic plan, the board will consider three specific plan recommendations, including:

• Development of a long-term research strategy that can direct future Checkoff-funded research investment toward higher priority targets;
• Exploration of a new way for state and national organizations to work more effectively together;
• Enhancement of the structure and efficiency of the board's systems for ensuring grassroots input into the development of the board's programs and budgets.

Additionally the board is expected to:

• Discuss how a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture announcement regarding the national animal identification program will affect ongoing pork industry disease surveillance and producer certification programs;
• Receive an update on trade issues from pork representatives on the U.S. Meat Export Federation board;
• Meet with members of the National Pork Producers Council Board of Directors to discuss common issues.

National Pork Board meetings are open to the public. Those wishing to attend are asked to contact Lorraine Garner, lgarner@pork.org, (515) 223-2600.

The National Pork Board has responsibility for Checkoff-funded research, promotion and consumer information projects and for communicating with pork producers and the public. Through a legislative national Pork Checkoff, pork producers invest $0.40 for each $100 value of hogs sold. The Pork Checkoff funds national and state programs in advertising, consumer information, retail and foodservice marketing, export market promotion, production improvement, technology, swine health, pork safety and environmental management. For information on Checkoff-funded programs, pork producers can call the Pork Checkoff Service Center at (800) 456-7675 or check the Internet at www.pork.org.

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