AgriNews, IL
06-07-06
International interest in World Pork Expo at new high
JEANNINE OTTO
jotto@agrinews-pubs.com
DES MOINES, Iowa — Pork producers will have the opportunity to explore the
global market in a big way at this year’s World Pork Expo.
The World Pork Expo begins on Thursday, June 8, and continues through
Saturday, June 10, at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa. The
National Pork Producers Council sponsors the event.
“There is a lot of international interest this year, I guess that’s the thing I noticed
this year over years past,” John Wrigley, general manager of the expo since
2001, said. Wrigley said he attributes the increased international interest in the
show – and the increased plans by international guests to attend – to an upswing
in the hog industry economy.
“I think pork producers are making money this year and I think that’s worldwide
so they’ve got some money and it’s a little easier to spend it,” he said.
While pork exports are up, the expo focuses on the production side of the
industry.
“At the World Pork Expo, we deal with the production of the animal, not the meat
but there will be some packers represented. We really represent the raising of
the animals,” he said. “We promote for the producer and their interests.”
Wrigley said he expects international guests from China, Russia, Mexico,
Canada, Italy, the Philippines, France and Germany, to name a few. Guests from
some 60 countries are expected to attend and there will be from 15 to 20
international exhibitors at the show. Various states are hosting international
delegations that will be attending the expo.
The World Pork Expo Environmental Information Center is an addition to the
expo this year.
“That’s brand new this year,” Wrigley said. “When we survey the producers and
when you look at the needs of the producers, animal welfare and the
environment are at the top of their list. Those are two things they know they have
to deal with. We had a group of people and companies who said they would
sponsor the seminars if we would offer them.”
The Environmental Information Center will be open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and
is free with admission to the World Pork Expo.
The sessions will be about an hour each in length. Topics include nutrient and
manure management, managing environmental impact, managing feed programs
and air quality issues. Presenters include personnel from the Missouri
Department of Natural Resources, the University of Florida, North Carolina State
University, Kansas State University, the University of Nebraska, the University of
Missouri and Iowa State University.
Also new for this year is the Pork Industry Job Fair and Career Center.
“The job fair is something we’ve thought about for a couple of years,” Wrigley
said. “We’ve invited in several of the larger hog producers and some of the
agriculture colleges and some allied industry companies. They will have their
human resources people there. They won’t be interviewing at that time but they
may set up times for interviews later.”
Producers and others attending the expo will have the opportunity to keep in
touch with home through the Communications Center.
“We’ll have eight kiosks set up with computers so anyone attending the expo can
check their e-mail if they need to,” Wrigley said.
The World Expo Trade Show opens at 8 a.m. Thursday and continues through
Saturday.
“We’ve got close to 500 exhibitors which is a little more than we had last year,”
Wrigley said.
One event that is growing in popularity is the World Pork Expo Junior National
Swine Show that takes place Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The show is
becoming one of the top youth shows in the country.
“It has really grown – it’s nearly doubled in size since we started it,” Wrigley said.
“They’re expecting 400 to 500 entries in the show.”
Wrigley said that organizers are expecting a healthy attendance for the show and
he said a concentrated effort on the NPPC’s behalf to make the show for
produces is credited.
“Several years ago we focused all of our attention on the producer,” he said. “In
the past, we tried to do both, the producer and the consumer. Our focus in the
last three or four years is to get producers to World Pork Expo. The attendance
last year was around 30,000. We’re sure hoping we’ll have as many if not more
than that.”
The World Pork Expo Marketing Information Center, with a two-day schedule of
sessions that include everything from marketing to PigCHAMP software classes
to managing profit and risk and a summer weather outlook is included in the
separate hour-long sessions. A two-day series of educational seminars will be
offered as well focusing on swine health and welfare.
For a complete schedule for the World Pork Expo, go to www.worldpork.org.