The Forum comprised of morning meetings of Pork Board delegates, and afternoon sessions covering the annual meeting of the NPPC policy group (National Pork Producers Council). Five past NPB presidents gave tribute to Murphy calling him a “mentor and friend” for steering the Board in a profound and harmonious new direction. When he assumed the role of CEO, morale at the NPB was low from factional fights with “family farm” groups that opposed the check-off system. However, today the big majority was supportive and the only debate was how to ensure that all state bodies and committees had a transparent opportunity to discuss a proposed increase in the check-off rate.

 

In another striking contrast, delegates adopted a positive outlook toward what keynote speaker Larry Pope, CEO of Smithfield Foods Inc., called “a radically changed world”, even as they were facing ongoing losses averaging near US$30 per animal from a painful combination of low selling prices for large hog supplies and sharply rising feed costs. This situation was expected to continue for most of the current year, according to economist Dr Steve Meyer from Paragon Economics. However, the situation is partly cushioned by three preceding years of high prices and profits that provided most producers with some protective financial reserves for rough times ahead in the absence of any government subsidy protection, such as what grain farmers have.

 

 

Perhaps the most significant Forum happening was NPPC President-Elect Don Butler proposing that hog producers adopt a statement that outlined ethical principles, including high standards for the treatment of animals in their care and to maximise farm standards of air quality, conservation and environment. Butler, whose large Murphy-Brown LLC breeding operations are linked with Smithfield Foods, urged producers “not to let our animal rights adversaries define who we are.” His pro-active advocacy was well received.

 

One promising check-off funded project they are jointly pursuing is to seek USDA scientific approval for reducing slow cooking temperature of fresh pork. They want to see a temperature of 140°F (60°C), instead of the standard 160°F (71°C), which causes undue dryness in the finished meat that reaches consumers’ plates. The lower temperature will enhance juiciness and tenderness, the best ways to promote sales of fresh pork cuts, which still suffer unduly low prices in US retail stores. Science Vice President Dr Paul Sundberg discussed 44 practical tips to help producers reduce producer costs and improve efficiency. Home farm innovations of four producer members who won Environment Awards were presented. This included one who used a road tanker device for injecting liquid manure waste down into field soils through a disk pipe. MI

 

Source: Meat International magazine. Volume 18 No. 4