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March 11,
2010 - Volume 30 - No 5
Topics This
Issue:
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Adding measurable value to Pork
U.S. Pork Exports Gain Momentum
U.S. Pork
exports finished 2009 on a positive note, which has helped jumpstart an
upward trend in 2010.
U.S. Pork exports closed the year with an 8 percent jump
in volume and 6 percent increase in value for December, compared to
year-ago totals. For the calendar year, pork exports registered the
second-highest total in history, according to statistics compiled by
the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).
Overall, U.S. Pork and pork variety meat exports equated
to 22.5 percent of U.S. production in 2009. U.S. Pork outpaced the
performance of global competitors, which slumped 15 percent in value in
2009, led by a 22 percent drop for European Union pork producers.
"It has been a challenging year for pork producers,
but it's encouraging to see consumer confidence returning and very
positive signs of growth," says Philip Seng, president and CEO of
the USMEF, which is responsible for developing international markets
for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded in part by the Pork
Checkoff.
In 2009, U.S. Pork and pork variety meat exports exceeded
2007 levels by 43 percent in volume and 37 percent in value. Mexico was
the volume leader with 503,503 metric tons (1.11 billion pounds) valued
at $762.35 million - an increase of 27 percent and 10 percent,
respectively, compared to 2008. This record-breaking performance was
particularly impressive considering the country's sluggish economy and
a temporary midyear disruption in pork demand due to H1N1 influenza.
U.S. pork recorded another spectacular year in Japan,
falling just short ($1.54 billion versus $1.545 billion) of the value
record set in 2008. This was achieved despite an increase of about 5
percent in Japan's domestic pork production. The U.S. share of Japan's
imported pork market also reached an all-time high of 46 percent.
"Through our partnership, the Pork Checkoff and USMEF
are accomplishing goals that we couldn't do on our own," says Tim
Bierman, a pork producer from Larrabee, Iowa, who serves as president
of the National Pork Board.
In addition to Mexico, single-year pork/pork variety meat export
records were established in 2009 in the following markets:
• Taiwan, up 35 percent in volume and 26 percent in
value over 2008.
• The Philippines, up 44 percent in volume and 41 percent in
value.
• Australia, up 10 percent in volume and 3 percent in value.
• New Zealand, up 11 percent in volume and 1 percent in value.
• Central and South America, up 12 percent in volume and 14
percent in value
Exports to the Caribbean also set a record, increasing 18
percent in volume and 10 percent in value over 2008, according to
USMEF.
For
more information, contact John Hinners, JHinners@usmef.org, 303-623-6328.
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Promoting teamwork within the pork industry
Pork Checkoff Honors Dale Miller with
Distinguished Service Award
The Pork Checkoff will honor
Dale Miller, editor of National Hog Farmer, as the winner of its
Distinguished Service Award. He will be recognized at the
National Pork Industry Forum in Kansas City, Mo., March 4-6,
2010. The Distinguished Service Award is given annually to
recognize the lifelong contribution to the pork industry of an
outstanding leader.
"Dale's
passion for helping producers understand and adopt changing production
practices have benefitted pork producers for the past 38 years,"
said Tim Bierman, a pork producer from Larrabee, Iowa, and National
Pork Board president. "As an example, Dale was at the forefront of
delivering vital information on artificial insemination technologies as
they first offered promise to U.S. pork producers in the early 1970s,
through the time when they became common practice."
Dale
also highly values and takes the time to honor the excellence of
others. Through the Environmental Stewards program he has championed,
more than 65 producers have been recognized. Dale's 50th anniversary
National Hog Farmer magazine paid tribute to 50 of the most influential
people of the industry.
"To
Dale it's all about the people," said Bierman. "He
values all the producers and the people in the pork industry that he
interacts with on a daily basis to report the accurate facts to help
pork producers."
For
more information, contact Cindy Cunningham, CCunningham@pork.org,
515-223-2643.
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National
Pork Board Honors Producers during Annual Meeting
The National Pork Board honored three
retiring producer members and its outgoing president during the
National Pork Industry Forum March 4-6 in Kansas City, Mo.
Tim Bierman, a pork producer from Larrabee, Iowa, was
recognized for serving as president of the National Pork Board.
Bierman's term as president and his second three-year term as a board
member end in August. As past president, he will remain on the board an
additional year in an advisory capacity.
"Few National Pork Board presidents have faced the
challenges that confronted Tim: U.S. producers were mired in one of the
worst profitability challenges ever; the voices of opponents of modern
production practices have grown louder and more strident; the H1N1 flu
outbreak and its misnaming by media added pressure at home and
abroad," said Gene Nemechek of Springdale, Ark., and National Pork
Board vice president. "Through it all, working with his
board of directors, he helped create a steady and consistent response
to each challenge."
In addition to serving as president, Bierman serves on the
Compensation Committee, Domestic Marketing Committee, Administration
Committee and Trade Committee. He also had served on the Animal Welfare
Committee, Budget Committee, Audit Committee and Resolutions Committee.
Bruce Samson, a pork producer from Three Forks, Mont., and
Steve Weaver, a pork producer from Elk Grove, Calif., were honored for
six years of service to the National Pork Board. Jeff Galle, a
pork producer from Pittsfield, Ill., was honored for three years of
services to the National Pork Board.
Samson, a producer who has 300 sows and markets 5,500 pigs
annually, serves on the Audit Committee, Niche Marketing Committee,
Nutrition Committee, Swine Health Committee and Animal Science
Committee. He had also served on the Administrative Committee, Budget
Committee and Resolutions Committee.
Weaver, a producer who has 60 sows and markets 1,000 pigs
annually, is the immediate past president of the National Pork
board. He serves on the Compensation Committee, Domestic
Marketing Committee, Audit Committee, Pork Safety and the National Pork
Board Plan of Work and Budget Task Force. He had also served on
the Animal Welfare Committee, Administrative Committee, Budget
Committee, Niche Marketing Committee, Producer and State Relations
Committee, Producer Services and Swine Health Committee.
Galle, the director of the agricultural and horticultural
sciences for John Wood Community College and owner/president of GPPE
Ltd., serves on the Domestic Marketing Committee and Producer Services
Committee. He also had served on the Administrative Committee, Budget
Committee, Audit Committee, Nominating Committee, Producer and State
Relations Committee, Resolutions Committee and Swine Health Committee.
The National Pork Board consists of 15 members, each
serving a maximum of two three-year terms. The Pork Act requires that
no fewer than 12 states be represented by the 15 Pork Board members.
For
more information, contact Cindy Cunningham, CCunningham@pork.org,
515-223-2643.
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Addressing consumer demands for socially responsible pork
production
Pork Checkoff Challenges Eating Less
Meat Article
When a cookbook author recently claimed that America's "collective
hankering for meat has left us with some expensive problems,"
including human health issues and environmental degradation, the Pork
Checkoff set the record straight.
"We want to make sure that people have correct
information and understand that nutrient-rich pork can be an important
part of a healthy diet," says Adria Sheil-Brown, a registered
dietitian and manager of nutrition communications and research for the
Pork Checkoff.
At issue is the article "Eating Less Meat: Signs of a
Growing Trend" by Tara Mataraza Desmond, which appeared in the
January 2010 edition of the International Association of Culinary
Professionals (IACP)'s Frontburner e-newsletter. The author stated that
"meat-heavy diets have been consistently linked to increased risk
of cancer, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and osteoporosis." She
also cited Mark Bittman's book "Food Matters," which claims
that that global livestock production is responsible for "about
one-fifth of all greenhouse gases-more than transportation."
In response to this feature, the Pork Checkoff reached out
to Frontburner editors to share the most current, science-based
information on pork and pork production with IACP, which boasts nearly
3,000 members from more than 32 countries.
"IACP is very influential in the food industry, so we
were very pleased to get our letter published in the February
Frontburner," says Sheil-Brown, who wrote that:
?
The National Pork Board believes that the healthiest diets
consist of a balance of fruits and vegetables as well as nutrient-dense
red meat-a position consistent with the nutrition recommendations of
many health organizations. Red meat provides many under-consumed
nutrients such as potassium, phosphorous and vitamin B12.
?
Additionally, vital nutrients such as iron and zinc are
more easily absorbed when they come from meat rather than vegetables.
Vitamin B12 is only found in animal foods.
?
Consumption data reveals an appropriate actual intake of
nutrient-rich meats. The National Pork Board believes the current
dietary guideline of an average of 5.5 ounce equivalents in the meat
and beans group (based on a 2,000 calories/day diet) remains appropriate
based on the preponderance of scientific evidence.
?
Consumption survey analysis shows that despite an
average amount of meat and meat equivalents of 5.3 ounces per day by
Americans, only 44 percent of all individuals two years and older, 62
percent of men 20 years and older, and 37 percent of women 20 years and
older, consume at least the minimum recommended amounts from the meat
group. "Clearly, Americans are not over-consuming meat,"
Sheil-Brown says.
?
Animal agriculture creates only a small percent of the
total greenhouse gas (GHG) missions in the United States, and pork
production contributes an even smaller percentage. According to the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2007, only 2.8 percent
of GHG emissions in the U.S. came from animal agriculture through a
process called enteric fermentation (the digestion of feed by ruminant
animals) and through manure management. Further, according to the EPA,
pork production contributed only 0.33 percent of total U.S. emissions.
?
Livestock-related GHG emissions have declined per unit of
production. "At the practical level, every pound of pork produced
in the U.S. today has a smaller carbon footprint compared to 20 years
ago," says Sheil-Brown, who notes that pork producers are
determined to lead in carbon-footprint knowledge.
For more information, contact Adria Sheil-Brown, ABrown@pork.org,
515-223-2632.
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National Pork
Board Honors the 2009 Pork Industry Environmental Steward Award Winners
The National Pork Board will recognize the latest class of
Environmental Steward Award winners at the National Pork Industry Forum
in Kansas City, Mo. These winners exemplify excellence in
environmental care and conservation in pork production.
"The
National Pork Industry Forum provides a great opportunity for these
producers to be recognized by their peers," said Tim Bierman, a
producer from Larrabee, Iowa, and National Pork Board president.
"It is important to recognize the positive environmental impact
pork producers can have. Pork producers are natural protectors of
the environment because they realize that taking good care of the
environmental and natural resources is not only the right thing to do,
but it's also smart business. Honoring these producers at Forum allows
other producers to get excited about this program."
To
be honored this year at the ceremony are:
• JAC
Pork of Hartley, Iowa, represented by Roger and Renee Nath;
• Schafer Farms of Goodhue, Minn., represented by Brandon and
Monica Schafer;
• Bryant Worley Farms of Princeton, N.C., represented by Bryant
and Debbie Worley;
• Sensenig Farm of Mohnton, Pa., represented by Lowell and Janet
Sensenig.
Environmental
steward award winners receive a plaque in recognition for their strong
environmental ethics. Their stories were featured in National Hog
Farmer magazine, which co-sponsors the awards program, in the Pork
Checkoff Report and in an educational video produced and distributed by
the National Pork Board.
The
National Pork Board is receiving applications and nominations for 2010
Pork Industry Environmental Steward Award winners. The deadline
is April 30, 2010. The next class of environmental stewards will
be honored at the National Pork Industry Forum in 2011. More
information, as well as applications, can be found online at pork.org,
or by calling (800) 456-7675.
For
more information, contact Allan Stokes, AStokes@pork.org,
515-223-3447.
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Pork Checkoff
in the Spotlight
Pork Checkoff
Sets Direction to Lead a World-Class
Food Industry
"Leading
a world-class food industry - Responsible. Sustainable. Professional.
Profitable." This is the new vision for the National Pork Board
that was introduced to Pork Act Delegates at the National Pork Industry
Forum March 4-6 in Kansas City, Mo. The vision statement comes
from a strategic five-year plan developed by the National Pork Board.
"This
new plan for the future of our pork industry was built by pork
producers, for pork producers," said Tim Bierman, a Larrabee,
Iowa, pork producer and president of the National Pork Board.
"Work on this plan began last year during some of the darkest days
for U.S. pork producers since 1998, but the producer task force
remained committed to building a plan that could help ensure a
successful future."
Part
of what it means to be a world-class pork industry includes:
• Being
socially responsible in the production of food that feeds the world;
• Adopting production practices consistent with the pork
industry's ethical principles that can be sustained long term;
• Demonstrating the industry's We Care philosophy by acting in a
professional and competent manner at every level of the industry, from
top meat-company executives to workers in the hog barns across America;
• Providing top-quality food products for consumers at a
reasonable price that enables all industry participants to be
profitable on a consistent basis.
"These
points describe core industry values that all members of our industry
should strive to implement on a daily basis," said Bierman.
Pork
Act Delegates also received a preview of new efforts aimed to
reposition pork with today's consumers.
"Since
1987, The Other White Meat? campaign has been effective in changing
consumers' perception of pork as a leaner choice," said
Bierman. "During 2010, the Pork Board will be testing
potential new brand positions for pork that may be more effective in reaching
today's consumers."
To
assist the National Pork Board in evaluating their brand position,
Schafer Condon Carter, an agency with meat and commodity experience,
has been hired following a competitive review of brand agencies.
In
other business, the Pork Act Delegates voted on candidates for the
National Pork Board to be forwarded for approval to the Secretary of
Agriculture. In July, five Pork Board members will be appointed by the
Secretary of Agriculture from the list of eight nominees elected by the
delegates to serve 3-year terms. The delegates ranked the candidates in
the following order:
• Julie
Maschhoff, Carlyle, Ill.
• Everett Forkner, Richards, Mo.
• Henry Moore, Clinton, N.C.
• Derrick Sleezer, Cherokee, Iowa
• Craig Mensink, Preston, Minn.
• Wathina Luthi, Gage, Okla.
• Gregg Hora, Fort Dodge, Iowa
• Steve Wuergler, Drain, Ore.
Jim
Fisher, a pork producer from Middletown, Mo.; and Kim Balfe, a pork
producer from Waseca, Minn.; were elected to the Pork Board Nominating
Committee.
For
an update on Forum activities, please visit www.pork.org.
For
more information, contact Mike Wegner,MWegner@pork.org,
515-223-2638.
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Pork
Checkoff. Your Investment. Your Future.
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