Farm News
06-15-07
Swine central
By Kristin Danley-Greiner, Farm News staff
DES MOINES — Next week, Des Moines will be bustling with visitors from
around the world at the 2007 World Pork Expo, an event that Iowa producers
look forward to attending with outlooks that are being buoyed further by decent
market prices.
The 19th annual event will be held June 7-9 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds and
will feature more than 1,000 swine industry exhibits, numerous educational
seminars, several informational centers, a farm toy show and sale, breed shows
and sales, lunch at the Big Grill on Thursday and Friday, World Pork Open Golf
Tournament and World Pork Open Sporting Clay Tournament.
Dave Moody, president-elect of the Iowa Pork Producers Association and a pork
producer from Nevada in Story County, said the state and its producers are
fortunate to have the expo call Iowa home.
“Having an international event of this magnitude allows Iowa to showcase the
state and the people who live and work here. With Iowa being in the heart of the
Midwest and the nation’s top pork producing state, it’s fitting that the event is held
in Des Moines,” he said.
Leah Schomburg, a spokeswoman for the World Pork Expo, said organizers
anticipate more than 30,000 people to attend from the U.S. alone, along with
guests from approximately 50 international countries. Last year the expo saw
slightly more than 31,000 visitors. Moody said every pork producer who is able,
should attend.
The chance to network with other producers and exhibitors from around the world
is a tremendous opportunity. The industry is ever-changing and producers also
can hear about new research that’s being done to improve pig performance, how
to enhance their operations and just about anything they need to know about
pork production through the many seminars that are offered,î he said.
The popular trade show will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, then
from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday. ID Alley, which will be open the same hours as
the trade show, will feature the latest in identification practices and products to
help producers get and stay ahead of the curve in the issues surrounding
traceability and food safety.
“One cool new feature will be a session of animal health seminars presented in
Spanish. Since there are so many Spanish-speaking workers in the pork industry
today, we thought it would be beneficial to include a Spanish session. These
sessions will be conducted by a veterinarian from Mexico. The Spanish-language
sessions will be held on Thursday morning as a part of the Marketing Information
Center,î” Schomburg said.
The always favored Great Pork BarbeQlossal will kick off with judging at 11 a.m.
on Saturday. The nation’s best bar-b-quers will vie for a share of $37,500 in cash
prizes and national competition points in this World Pork Expo tradition. The fun
to watch pig races will be held Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and
Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon in the northeast corner of the cattle barn, where the
pigs will hoof around a sawdust track. On Friday, 1960s pop favorite The
Buckinghams will perform, followed by pop and country artist Billy Joe Royal.
“Of course, all the favorites will be back—Lunch at the Big Grill, World Pork Expo
Breed Show and Sale, World Pork Expo Junior National Show, Friday afternoon
and evening entertainment featuring Billy Joe Royal and the Buckinghams, and
an ever-expanding roster of producer information sessions including forecasting
by Glenn Grimes, Robert Wisner and Elwynn Taylor,î” Schomburg said.
Currently, the outlook for the hog market seems healthy, despite high feed
prices, but the market’s performance hasn’t always impacted attendance at the
expo.
“The pork industry has been quite robust, but it doesn’t make an impact on
attendance. Pork producers know that World Pork Expo is the one time a year
when they can learn about the latest technologies and techniques to improve
profitability as well as to meet with vendors and friends. Even in years when the
industry is experiencing challenges, World Pork Expo has brought producers
together,î” Schomburg said.
“There is no place better than the World Pork Expo for producers to be able to
learn about animal care, technology and business practices that will help them be
better stewards of their operations and the environment. Each year, companies
choose NPPC’s World Pork Expo as the place to launch new products and really
want to hear from producers about what’s needed in the industry,” she continued.
“It really is a ‘don’t miss’ for pork producers who want to have the very best
operations. Producers have the opportunity to learn first-hand from the experts in
the swine industry and ask the questions that are important to them. Of course,
there’s also interaction with other producers, and all the food and fun that
happens at World Pork Expo,” she concluded.
Wisner, an agriculture economist at Iowa State University, said the outlook
for pork producers remains good, in spite of corn prices that are significantly
higher than a year ago.
“Hog prices are expected to trade near $50/cwt live weight for much of the
summer and be in profitable territory for most if not all of 2007. The wild card is
feed cost,”î he said. “Corn markets will watch the weather closely this summer
and are expected to be volatile. I can’t judge attitude, but cautiously optimistic
might be the best term.”
Agricultural economist Chris Hurt with Purdue University said hog prices have
been keeping up with the high costs of production. Hurt said in his latest market
report that hog prices have tracked somewhat higher than anticipated due to
moderate supply growth and continued positive news for the pork trade.
“Although this hog price outlook is for an average price near $50 for the next 12
months, given current corn and soybean meal futures prices, there will be some
periods of profits and some periods of losses,” he said in his report. “Expected
profits are on tap for this summer when they could average about $4 to $5 per
hundred and next spring when they may be about $2. However, there may be
some periods of losses as well, especially around the seasonal low for hog prices
in the fall and winter of 2008. Losses at that time are estimated to be from $1 to
$3,Ӕ Hurt said.