In this episode, we explore strategies to bolster the pork industry's resilience.

Christine McCracken, Senior Animal Protein Analyst at Rabobank, graces Feedstuffs Pork Nation with her expertise on the state of the pork industry. Curious about the path to recovery and what lies ahead in 2025 for pork producers? We're unpacking the improving financial health and potential for more robust margins, despite looming challenges like political uncertainties, tariffs, and changing immigration policies.

Discover why maintaining solid trade relationships with key partners such as Mexico and Canada is more crucial than ever. We also tackle how the industry is innovatively addressing labor shortages through automation and improved workforce management.

We also delve into critical economic concerns, including the national debt's effect on the US credit rating and its potential ramifications for agriculture. While sovereign debt issues linger, we discuss the importance of staying informed and engaging with lenders to mitigate risks. With only minor interest rate adjustments anticipated, some stability is expected.

As we close the year, Christine emphasizes the critical need for biosecurity and community support within the industry. Risk management takes center stage as pork producers are encouraged to partner with advisors to navigate shifting market conditions and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

Feedstuffs Pork Nation is brought to you by Alltech. Alltech delivers smarter, more sustainable solutions for agriculture through a diverse portfolio of products and services. Contact the Alltech Pork Team or visit go.alltech.com/swine-research to learn more.

The Center for Animal Health and Food Safety, in collaboration with the Swine Health Information Center, has developed a near-real-time event-based surveillance system to support informed decision making for U.S. pork producers. To further enhance disease monitoring, the team has expanded its focus to include production diseases, and develop a global swine disease dashboard. What might this mean for the hog industry?

From the 2024 International Conference of Swine Viral Diseases in Chicago, Feedstuffs Ann Hess talks with Dr. Rachael Schulte, University of Minnesota to find out about the new surveillance system

This episode of Feedstuffs in Focus is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting the website at UnitedANH.com

Swine respiratory disease (SRD) is a commonly encountered health challenge in today’s hog industry. SRD includes a wide range of bacterial pathogens that can impact pig respiratory systems as well as the overall health of a farm system. What might all this mean for your operation, and how can you fight back? 

This episode is brought to you by Pharmgate Animal Health, a growing business that puts livestock first. Pharmgate provides a proven portfolio of technically supported, high-quality products that are the foundation of custom herd health protocols. By offering multiple options for active ingredients, concentrations, and administration routes, Pharmgate provides you with choices to fit your needs backed by a team with technical expertise to get the results you want.

Joining us today on Feedstuffs in Focus is Dr. Nic Lauterbach, technical services veterinarian with Pharmgate Animal Health. Our topic is that of how swine respiratory disease can be stopped in its tracks through the implementation of practical strategies and recommendations for improving herd health outcomes when faced with the threat of swine respiratory disease.

To access more SRD resources and connect with an expert, visit Pharmgate.com.

In the US swine industry, the thinking has long been that the feeding of high zinc levels offers health and productivity benefits to pigs. In fact, research has confirmed the positive effect of elevated dietary zinc. However, zinc can have negative effects for the environment and public health.

Today, we talk with Dr. Jerry Shurson, professor of swine nutrition at the University of Minnesota, to find out more. Dr. Shurson, along with Dr. Yuan-Tai Hung, swine research manager with Devenish, have taken a deep dive into zinc levels in diets and believe the time is now to rethink zinc use.

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

What does the future of agriculture look like? It’s a question often pondered as one year draws to a close and another dawns, with prognosticators thinking about everything from market outlook and economic conditions to questions of technology, innovation, and the rate of change in the business.

Aidan Connolly, a long-time feed industry leader now working as an investor in the ag-tech space via his AgriTech Capital firm, recently published a book tackling the question of “The Future of Agriculture.” The book offers information that will help readers from a range of backgrounds to

• Find ways to protect, maintain and prudently deploy limited resources; and
• Map technological innovation to produce foods that meet the health and nutrition needs of a burgeoning population; and
• Ensure that food and farming evolve in ways that will also ensure the sustainability of the planet’s natural resources.

Connolly focuses on practical answers and specific examples, innovative ideas and new concepts, and thought leadership across a rich array of technologies. Sorted by both technologies and species, with local examples and a global perspective, it offers readers a unique snapshot of a food and farm industry in mid-evolution, providing insight, context, and framing for the coming changes.

Biosecurity is one of the most important aspects of a successful livestock enterprise, with a growing number of threats in the form of viral disease outbreaks or the potential for foreign animal disease incursion. Technologies to help producers in the fight are proliferating, including a new app to help producers, veterinarians, and public health officials share information as quickly as possible.

Gustavo Machado is an epidemiologist specializing in emerging and transboundary infectious diseases at North Carolina State University. At the North American PRRS Symposium held earlier this month in Chicago, Machado sat down with National Hog Farmer editor Ann Hess to discuss the Rapid Biosecurity App, a tool that standardizes Secure Pork Supply biosecurity plans and creates maps to visualize the biosecurity infrastructure of individual farms across multiple states. 

According to Dr. Macado, in each state, the RABapp provides the pork producer and Department of Agriculture with rapid access to approved biosecurity plans status to expedite outbreak responses.

Viral diseases are a top-of-mind concern for the U.S. livestock industry, and perhaps most especially in the swine business. Experts recently gathered in downtown Chicago at the North American PRRS Symposium to discuss topics ranging from virus transmission and biosecurity to specific concerns about senecavirus.

Scott Dee is director of research at Pipestone Applied Research. Dee is one of the leading voices on the topics of disease transmission, and has conducted considerable research in the areas of viral transport and transmission in feed, feed biosecurity, and on-farm antimicrobial resistance.

During the conference, he spoke with Feedstuffs editor Sarah Muirhead.

You can read more of our coverage of animal health issues and the latest research in the pages of Feedstuffs. You can find our latest issue and past editions by visiting Feedstuffs.com and clicking on “Digital Editions.”

Congress intervened this week in an effort to avert an economy-crippling rail strike. What does the labor conflict mean for agriculture, and the feed industry in general? And what does the situation tell us about vulnerabilities to the U.S. logistics infrastructure system?

Late Thursday, the Senate approved a resolution to implement a tentative agreement brokered by the Biden administration with rail labor unions and management. The House approved the measure on Nov. 30, and it now heads to President Biden’s desk for signature.

A few hours prior to the Senate’s vote, Feedstuffs spoke with Max Fisher, chief economist at the National Grain and Feed Association, about what the possibility of a strike meant for the feed industry and the broader agriculture industry. He explained the situation, how the parties arrived at a place requiring the federal government to get involved, and the long-term prospectus for labor relations in the rail space.

More broadly, Fisher discussed the current state of the commodity logistics chain, from challenges facing our inland waterways, a lingering lack of truck drivers, and now the vulnerabilities facing the rail system.

A few hours after our conversation with Fisher, the Senate approved a measure to implement a tentative agreement to avert the strike, which NFGA, the American Feed Industry Association, the Soy Transportation Coalition, and other relevant industry groups hailed as an important step in averting a national crisis. 

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the price of the average Thanksgiving dinner for 10 this year is up 20% as inflation continues to take a bite out of the U.S. consumer’s wallet. But are media reports of potential shortages of butter and turkey accurate, or are these key holiday meal ingredients readily available?

Throughout the month of October and into November, news stories suggested that a range of grocery items, most notably butter, eggs, and turkeys, might be harder to find this holiday season. To get to the bottom of the supply chain situation, we spoke with Michael Dykes, president of the International Dairy Foods Association, and Brian Earnest, senior protein analyst with CoBank.

This episode is sponsored by Novus International, a leader in swine, poultry and dairy nutrition solutions driven by science. Novus’ products and services look at the whole animal, focusing on productivity and well-being, in order to feed the world affordable and wholesome food. For more information, visit Novus’ website at www.novusint.com

The poultry industry plays a significant role in U.S. agriculture, from providing chicken, turkey and eggs to consumers to consuming a goodly quantity of feed ingredients and related services. But how big, overall, is the economic footprint of the combined industry? And what does the trend look like in terms of economic growth tied to U.S. poultry production?

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY), National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation and United Egg Producers recently released an updated economic impact study that highlights the positive impact the poultry industry has on jobs, wages, and federal and state revenue in the United States. Conducted every two years, the study provides an in-depth look at the broad impact poultry production has in terms of growing the U.S. economy, providing jobs to more than 1.5 million workers, and generating billions of dollars in tax revenue to the federal, state, and local governments.

In this episode we hear from Gwen Venable, Executive Vice President, Communications for the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, to learn more about the study and its findings.

To learn more, you can dig into the data by visiting PoultryFeedsAmerica.org. You can also read our latest coverage of the business of poultry and egg production in the pages of Feedstuffs. Find our latest issue and past editions by visiting Feedstuffs.com and clicking on “Digital Editions.”

Agricultural research at land-grant universities is an important part of the story of the success of U.S. agriculture of the past century. One university researcher working on mitigating the livestock industry’s role in climate change came under attack this week for the sin of… working with the livestock industry?

This week the New York Times and the environmental activist group Greenpeace targeted the CLEAR Center at the University of California-Davis, and the efforts of the Center and its founder to reduce the footprint of animal agriculture by calling to question the Center’s source of funding and its close ties to animal agriculture groups. 

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Director of the Center and a University of California-Davis faculty member, joined us Thursday on the Feedstuffs 365 livestream channel to share his thoughts on why it's important that animal agriculture works together to address the issue of sustainability, and to respond to the attacks on his credibility.

Watch the full interview with Dr. Mitloehner at Feedstuffs 365; he discusses sources of funding in agricultural research and what the attacks on his work say about the broader effort of activist groups to put animal agriculture out of business. You can also read more of our coverage of the impacts of climate change on the livestock industry in the pages of Feedstuffs. You can find our latest issue and past editions by visiting Feedstuffs.com and clicking on “Digital Editions.”

Welcome to this episode of Feedstuffs Swine Healthline, brought to you by Pharmgate Animal Health and focused on writing and executing effective swine health protocols.

One aspect of the job as a swine veterinarian is helping your customers or your teams develop and write swine health protocols. 

No matter how good the protocol, it won’t work to protect pigs if the steps aren’t being executed in the barn, at the truck wash or on the road between farms. 

Are you confident your protocols are being accurately executed? How do you know? 

Today’s guest spends much of his time helping pork production systems answer those questions. Dr. Jerome Geiger is a health assurance veterinarian with Pig Improvement Company. Dr. Geiger has seen plenty of cases in which biosecurity protocols were executed differently than they were written. 

He will explain four strategies you can use to ensure your protocols work as well in real life as they do on paper. And, he will share what he thinks is the most important piece of successful swine health protocols.

This is the last in a four-part podcast series about Swine Respiratory Disease Complex brought to you by Pharmgate Animal Health. Call your Pharmgate representative or visit pharmgate.com to learn about their broad portfolio options to support your swine health protocols. 

Download the other podcasts in the series to learn about the latest research in PRRSV cases, the challenges posed by endemic bacterial agents in swine facilities and advice when considering disease elimination from a system or pig flow.

As nutritionists and livestock producers focus more on the intestinal health of animals, more attention has been paid to pre, pro, and postbiotics. But a good deal of misunderstanding remains about what these products are, and what they might do for the animal’s health and productivity.

At the 4th annual Kemin Intestinal Health Symposium earlier this month, veterinarians, nutritionists and food animal producers discussed the latest research on topics related to intestinal health in the livestock space. In this episode we talk with one of the presenters at the Symposium, Tania Cubitt, an equine nutritionist with Performance Horse Nutrition. 

Cubitt explains the basics of these products, and how her insights from the world of performance horses can help food animal producers better understand what’s happening in their animals GI tracks and how to unlock the potential benefits from using pre, pro, and postbiotics as part of the nutrition plan.

You can read more of our coverage of of the Intestinal Health Symposium coming up in the November issue of of Feedstuffs in a few weeks. In the meanwhile, you can find the October issue and past editions by visiting Feedstuffs.com and clicking on “Digital Editions.”

The US Swine Health Improvement Plan (US SHIP) is a platform created to safeguard, certify and better animal health for the 21st Century US pork industry. It’s a program modelled after the National Poultry Improvement Plan.

 Where is US SHIP currently at when it comes to feed biosecurity? What’s ahead in the development of this industry critical strategy?

Feedstuffs Pork Nation is brought to you by Alltech. Alltech delivers smarter, more sustainable solutions for agriculture through a diverse portfolio of products and services. Contact the Alltech Pork Team or visit go.alltech.com/swine-research to learn more.

Joining hosts Sarah Muirhead and Alltech's Mark Hulsebus on this episode is Dr. Jamil Faccin, Swine Technical & Nutrition Specialist, with Alltech. Dr. Faccin gives an update on US SHIP and the value it brings to the US pork industry. Dr. Faccin joined Alltech’s US Pork team following the recent completion of his Ph.D. and postdoctoral programs at Kansas State University. 

Welcome to this episode of Feedstuffs Swine Healthline, brought to you by Pharmgate Animal Health and focused on transitioning a sow herd or pig flow to high-health status.

You’ve probably heard the saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Today’s guest says that’s how it can feel when dealing with a chronic disease challenge in pork production. 

Dr. Jeremy Pittman is a veterinarian with Smithfield Hog Production who has helped multiple production sites work through transitions to high-health status. Today, Dr. Pittman will talk about what he learned while planning and executing a disease-elimination program. He will also recommend questions veterinarians can ask their customers or teams to decide whether the transition to high-health status could be profitable.

This is the third in a four-part podcast series about Swine Respiratory Disease Complex brought to you by Pharmgate Animal Health. Call your Pharmgate representative or visit pharmgate.com to learn about their broad portfolio options to support your swine health protocols. 

Next week on Swine Healthline, we will talk about a common challenge in pork production: When health protocols don’t work in real life as well as they do on paper. It happens more often than anyone wants to admit, says Dr. Jer Geiger, health assurance veterinarian with PIC. How can you be sure your protocols are executed successfully in the barn or the feed mill? Join us next week to find out.

In recent years the livestock industry has focused more attention and research on the topic of intestinal health in food animal production. At a recent industry symposium on the topic, a leading veterinarian at one of the nation’s largest swine production systems discussed the swine vet’s perspective and advice.

At the 4th annual Kemin Intestinal Health Symposium last week veterinarians, nutritionists and food animal producers discussed the latest research on topics related to intestinal health in the livestock space. 

In this episode we talk with one of the presenters at the Symposium, Dr. Amy Maschhoff. Associate director of health at The Maschhoffs, one of the largest swine production systems in the U.S., Dr. Maschhoff discusses how production systems should approach the topic of intestinal health, and what she and her colleagues have learned from first-hand experience in their system.

Welcome to this episode of Feedstuffs Swine Healthline, brought to you by Pharmgate Animal Health and focused on endemic bacterial agents. 

Increasingly, the swine industry's attention is focused on epidemic agents, such as PRRS and PED, or the constant threat of foreign animal diseases, such as African Swine Fever. In this episode, we switch gears and talking about an ever-present challenge posed by endemic bacterial agents, such as Streptococcus suis and Glaesserella parasuis – bacterial agents that jeopardize herd health, compromise animal well-being and drag down performance potential. 

Our guest is Dr. Maria Jose Clavijo, a research assistant professor at Iowa State University and a health assurance veterinarian with The Pig Improvement Company (PIC). Dr. Clavijo will talk about trends that show an increase in the diagnosis and detection of certain bacterial pathogens. She’ll also explain how whole genome sequencing helps identify different pathogen strains, opening the door to more effective disease control programs. 

This is the second in a four-part podcast series about Swine Respiratory Disease Complex brought to you by Pharmgate Animal Health. Call your Pharmgate representative or visit pharmgate.com to learn about their broad portfolio options to support your protocols.

Join us next week on Swine Healthline to hear from Dr. Jeremy Pittman, a veterinarian with Smithfield Pork. He will talk about the complex factors of successful disease elimination strategies and how you as a veterinarian can ask the right questions to help your customers meet their pork production goals.

Dairy producers face a number of challenges in producing milk profitably, and an understanding of rumen function and ways nutritional strategies can unlock additional pounds of milkfat is one avenue for increasing the opportunity for profitability.

At the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, earlier this month, Novus International debuted a new program called Scale Up™; the program is designed to turn production challenges into herd profitability by providing innovative feeding strategies that optimize milk and component yields. Along with increasing beneficial microbiota in the rumen and optimizing rumen function, the program aids in optimizing feed intake and meeting the metabolic needs of lactating cows.

In this episode we talk with Ceclia Lopez, Novus’ North America ruminant marketing manager, and Dr. Will Seymour, ruminant technical services manager, to learn more about Scale Up.

This episode is sponsored by Novus International. You can learn more about the Scale Up program for Dairy by visiting NovusINT.com.

Welcome to this episode of Feedstuffs Swine Healthline, brought to you by Pharmgate Animal Health and focused on what the latest veterinary diagnostic data tells us about the state of PRRS in the U.S.

Our guest is Dr. Daniel Linhares, associate professor and director of graduate education at Iowa State University. Dr. Linhares provides the latest data and discusses what it says about the current state of Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome virus across the U.S. swine herd. 

Dr. Linhares’ research focuses on swine population health, including strategies to prevent, detect or manage infectious diseases in field conditions. Today, he will talk about the latest PRRS data compiled from primary veterinary diagnostic laboratories across the U.S. and insights on how you can use the data in your practice or system. 

Find more information about today’s topic as well as disease-monitoring information and other tools at field.epi.org.

This is the first in a four-part podcast series about Swine Respiratory Disease Complex brought to you by Pharmgate Animal Health. Call your Pharmgate representative or visit pharmgate.com to learn about their broad portfolio options to support your protocols.

Join us next week on Swine Healthline to hear from Dr. Maria Clavijo, research assistant professor at Iowa State University and health assurance veterinarian at Pig Improvement Company. She will share her latest research regarding endemic bacteria in pork production and how to manage the costly impacts.

Farmers and ranchers around the world are increasingly forced to adapt to changing weather patterns. And while a lot of agricultural research has focused on mitigation strategies for crop production, livestock producers face a unique set of challenges that have not yet received the same level of academic inquiry. One professor at the University of Illinois is working to change that.

A new study from the University of Illinois examined how cattle ranchers in Brazil are responding to climate change in the Amazon. Previous research shows the dry season is increasing up to 0.6 days per year, putting more stress on animals. That is pushing ranchers to sell their cattle early, according to Marin Skidmore, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at U of I. Her paper was recently published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, and in this episode we talk with Dr. Skidmore about her findings, and the implications for U.S. cattle producers dealing with extended drought here at home.

You can read more of our coverage of the impacts of climate change on the livestock industry in the pages of Feedstuffs. You can find our latest issue and past editions by visiting Feedstuffs.com and clicking on “Digital Editions.”

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

Have you ever said the phrase, “If it isn’t one thing, it’s another?” Usually said in frustration while feeling like you're beset from all sides with challenges, it’s a phrase agricultural shippers are probably thinking lately, as the commodity logistics chain finds itself dealing with challenges related to ocean freight rates, container availability, possible rail strikes, not enough truck drivers, and now… not enough water in our inland rivers and waterways?

Several vulnerabilities in the supply chain were exposed during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and although the industry worked through many of those challenges with an impressive resiliency, there is little question that concerns remain. The availability of labor and the issues with ocean-going freight, for example, are still very much a challenge for the industry.

And now, due in no small part to the effects of climate change and erratic weather patterns, concerns have emerged about the volume of water in the U.S. inland waterway system, a system of rivers, locks and dams that have long been a competitive advantage for U.S. agriculture in the global marketplace.

In this episode we talk with Mike Steenhoek, Executive Director of the Soy Transportation Coalition, about the nature of the concern and what it means heading into harvest across the Midwest.

The transmission of disease-causing pathogens via feed ingredients has garnered a tremendous amount of study in recent years. With the specter of African Swine Fever in the minds of every U.S. pork producer, understanding the survivability of viral pathogens in a variety of vectors is critically important to adequate biosecurity on hog farms.

Dr. Scott Dee is a veterinarian and research at Pipestone Applied Research. He and his colleagues have done as much or more study into the role feed ingredients play in virus transmission as anyone in the business. His most recent paper looked at a case study in which Senecavirus A was introduced into a historically-negative country via soybean meal imported from a positive country.

In this episode we talk with Dr. Dee about the findings from this case study, how they apply to U.S. swine biosecurity efforts, and what veterinarians and producers need to do more generally to achieve what he describes as “next-generation biosecurity”.

This episode of Feedstuffs in Focus is sponsored by Topigs Norsvin. Swine genetics company Topigs Norsvin is renowned for its innovative approach to implementing new technologies and its continuous focus on cost-efficient and sustainable pig production. Research, innovation, and dissemination of genetic improvements are the cornerstones of the company. 

Topigs Norsvin’s approach of breeding pigs for enhanced, natural robustness to disease challenge is a viable solution for disease control. You can learn more about Topigs Norsvin and their natural breeding approach by visiting their website TopigsNorsvin.us.  

Breeding pigs for increased natural robustness to disease has become an important tool in the effort to raise healthier pigs in the modern swine production system. With a variety of disease pressures facing producers, using every tool in the toolbox is necessary to maintain profitability and strong animal welfare. One swine genetics company is focusing their research on ways to further enhance their pigs’ natural robustness.

Dr. Jenelle Dunkelberger is a swine geneticist at Topigs Norsvin, where she’s spent the past four years applying her research to the genetic programs of one of the world's largest swine genetics companies. In this episode, Dunkelberger explains what she and her colleagues have learned about the role of genetics in managing swine diseases, and shares the results of some of her latest research into selecting for robustness to disease in the company’s breeding goal.

This episode of Feedstuffs in Focus is sponsored by Topigs Norsvin.  Swine genetics company Topigs Norsvin is renowned for its innovative approach to implementing new technologies and its continuous focus on cost-efficient and sustainable pig production.  Research, innovation, and dissemination of genetic improvements are the cornerstones of the company. Topigs Norsvin’s approach of breeding pigs for enhanced, natural robustness to disease challenge is a viable solution for disease control. You can learn more about Topigs Norsvin and their natural breeding approach by visiting their website TopigsNorsvin.us. 

Commodities are often referred to as a “hedge against inflation” in the financial markets. With inflation at generational highs, what is the outlook for agricultural commodities – particularly feed grains – as harvest gets underway?

Prices are always a hot topic in agricultural circles, and they were certainly on the minds of many farmers attending the Farm Progress Show in late August. Feedstuffs editor Sarah Muirhead spoke with a pair of analysts from Rabo AgriFinance to get to the bottom of what the industry should expect as combines start rolling in earnest later this month. 

Sarah spoke first with Andrick Payen Diaz de la Vega about the inherent volatility in the current markets; later, you'll hear from Sam Taylor about a global perspective on the seed and inputs underpinning the cost of producing feed grains.

 Why is gut health important and what connection exists between it and biosecurity? What about feed biosecurity? What role does it play? 

Our guest in this episode of Feedstuffs in Focus is Dr. Jordan Gebhardt, assistant professor with Kansas State University. Dr. Gebhardt joins us to discuss the link between biosecurity and gut health in livestock production.

Dr. Gebhardt was part of this week’s line up of speakers at the 2024 Kemin Intestinal Health Symposium. We had a chance to catch up with him recently to get a preview of his presentation. 

To view the 2024 Kemin Intestinal Health Symposium in on-demand, simply go to Kemin.com/symposium and sign up. It is a free symposium open to all.

Food insecurity is often a topic of discussion in agriculture, but often within the frame of how will the industry feed a growing population. But the sad reality is that food insecurity is a challenge right here at home, and a large percentage of the funding promulgated in the Farm Bill is dedicated to solving the complex challenge of helping farmers feed their fellow Americans.

Lisa Hamler-Fugitt is Executive Director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, an organization representing Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks and their 3,600 member hunger relief programs. Recently inducted into the Ohio Agriculture Hall of Fame, she is an advocate not only for the food insecure, but for farmers and the vital role they play in feeding all of us; she is often heard explaining, “We all have to eat.”

Earlier this week her organization hosted a convening on the topic of the Farm Bill, bringing together people from farm organizations, state and federal government, food and hunger organizations, and industry and academia.

The broad topic was how the next Farm Bill – the legislation that funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its many and diverse programs from commodities and conservation to nutrition and rural development – will shape the scope and nature of food insecurity in this country over the next 5 to 10 years. Feedstuffs broadcast editor Andy Vance moderated a panel at the event on tackling food insecurity in uncertain times, and spoke with Hamler-Fugitt about her unique perspective on the Farm Bill, and her concerns for the often tenuous coalition it takes to pass such a massive piece of legislation in a hyper-partisan environment.

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

Protein prices have increased rapidly in the past 24 months, amid the broader press of inflation. With inflation at its highest rate in more than 40 years, the question becomes how long beef, pork and poultry prices can remain at such elevated levels before demand erodes significantly.

David Williams is senior vice president of procurement and management at CTI Foods, based in Texas. In this episode, Williams discusses the current state of the animal protein markets, with an eye toward the implications of sustained food price inflation on demand, and how those same factors will influence the supply side of the equation over the next 12-to-24 months.

We also discuss the persistent drought in cattle country, and why he says most analysts are underestimating how much the cattle herd is shrinking as producers struggle in the absence of hay and pasture.

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

Livestock producers could play a role in helping crop producers manage one of their costliest inputs. A simple, sustainable, and effective - yet not well-known - solution for rising fertilizer prices, is digestate, the byproduct of anaerobic digestion of organic waste material like animal manure.

In this episode we talk with Patrick Serfass, Executive Director of the American Biogas Council, who shares his insights on what’s happening in the fertilizer market and how this alternative source of nutrients can be a boon for livestock and feed grain producers alike.

You can read more of our coverage of the commodity markets and developing production technologies in the pages of Feedstuffs; you can find the latest issue now by visiting Feedstuffs.com and clicking on “Digital Editions.”

Inflation will continue to be the top challenge to retail meat demand for the foreseeable future. Retail meat and poultry prices were as much as 18% higher, year over year, in May according to the Consumer Price Index, and inventories remain below pre-pandemic levels. That combination of tight supplies and solid demand kept meat prices 20% higher than the five-year average for the March-May period overall, according to the latest analysis from CoBank.

Brian Earnest is the lead economist for animal protein in CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange division. He provides market and industry research for the poultry, pork, and beef sectors, and in this episode shares his latest analysis of those markets with a particular eye on the role inflation might play in tempering consumer demand.

He also shares his analysis of the supply-side situation, from inventory reductions in the beef space to expansion in the poultry sector.

You can read more of our coverage of the animal protein markets in the pages of Feedstuffs; you can find the latest issue now by visiting Feedstuffs.com and clicking on “Digital Editions.”

Of the $5 billion of U.S. beef exported around the world through May of this year, only $8 million has been to Africa. But Africa is a very promising destination for beef variety meats, a low-cost protein that helps meet Africa’s nutritional needs. There is also growing interest in higher-end beef cuts that draw interest from Africa’s growing middle class.

Matt Copeland, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) representative in Africa, says that a growing population, an expanding need for affordable protein, an explosion in western-style retail outlets and some softening in regulatory barriers signal the region is a potential growth market for U.S. red meat. In this episode Copeland explains how USMEF, with support from USDA and the Beef Checkoff Program, is laying the groundwork with importers, retailers and suppliers to expand U.S. red meat sales in the region.

You can read more of our coverage of global meat trade in the pages of Feedstuffs; you can find the July issue now by visiting Feedstuffs.com and clicking on “Digital Editions.”

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

Farm Bill discussions often center on crop-centric programs in the commodity title, tweaks to food and nutrition programs, or ways to enhance USDA’s conservation mission. But what do livestock producers need from the next Farm Bill?

This week in Reno, Nevada, cattlemen and beef industry participants gathered for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Summer Business Meeting. As part of the meeting’s policy focus, industry leaders turned their attention to the 2023 Farm Bill.

For a deep dive on NCBA’s Farm Bill priorities – including conservation, risk management and disaster relief programs – we’ll hear from NCBA’s Executive Director of Government Affairs Allison Rivera.

You can read more of our coverage of the 2023 Farm Bill in the pages of Feedstuffs; you can find the July issue now by visiting Feedstuffs.com and clicking on “Digital Editions.”

Economic headwinds and ongoing weather concerns are the major storylines heading into the back half of 2022. With ongoing uncertainty about inflation, interest rates, global conflict and drought across large swaths of cattle country all on the table, beef producers have plenty to think about when looking at the big picture.

Lance Zimmerman was recently named Senior Beef Analyst at Rabobank’s Food and Agribusiness research team. Zimmerman joined Rabobank after nearly 12 years at CattleFax, where he served as CattleFax’s Manager of Research, Analysis and Data from 2016 to 2021, and most recently as Director of Research and Protein Market Analysis. Prior to joining CattleFax, Zimmerman spent more than six years at Certified Angus Beef, where he led their marketing and supply development efforts.

In this episode, Zimmerman discusses the liquidation of the U.S. cattle herd due to ongoing drought challenges, and what current economic conditions portend for the future of the beef industry as a whole.

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

Innovation is a given in the food industry as companies look for new ways to meet the always changing demands of consumers. Our Sarah Muirhead was on the trade show floor in Chicago this past week at IFT First to learn about some of the products that are under development and to talk with the experts involved in moving new products from concept to the dinner table.

 One of the experts she caught up with was Dr. Ray Matulka with the Burdock Group, who provided insight into food regulation and labeling on novel food ingredients and processes, including alternative meat and dairy products.

 

In response to data from the Swine Disease Reporting System, leaders of the Swine Health Information Center recently shifted $1 million of its 2022 budget to focus specifically on biosecurity in the finishing phase of hog production. The data showed a number of disease pressures on finishers, from APP to PRRS, prompting the additional focus on that segment of the production chain.

Megan Niederwerder is a veterinarian and swine health researcher serving as Associate Director of the Swine Health Information Center, otherwise known by the acronym SHIC. In this episode Dr. Niederwerder explains what the Reporting System showed in terms of disease outbreaks in finishing barns, and why SHIC opted for a mid-year shift in its programming in response to that data.

We’ll also focus specifically on recent APP outbreaks, and why those are particularly concerning to producers and the veterinarians who care for the pigs in finishing operations.

For more of our coverage of animal health and related research, check out the latest dynamic digital edition of Feedstuffs HERE.

With high corn prices very much on the minds of livestock feeders, what does available data tell us about corn usage trends? While it might be true to say that usage is only down 2% off all-time records, it would also be fair to say that trendline usage off by a billion bushels, the worst in nearly a decade. Let’s peel back the figures and take a deeper look at corn prices, usage, and the future for the feed and biofuels sectors.

David Widmar is an agricultural economist writing at Agricultural Economic Insights. In this episode the former Purdue University professor and Kansas Department of Agriculture economist discusses corn usage trends in the era of persistent high prices, and his expectations for how the Federal Reserve will handle generationally-high inflation with an eye toward keeping recessionary fears at bay.

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

Dr. Todd Callaway, a ruminant microbiologist with the University of Georgia, joins us on this episode of Feedstuffs in Focus to discuss the Microbial World: What Do We Know, What Do We Think, What Do We Hope? 

Dr. Callaway is part of the upcoming 2024 Kemin Intestinal Health Symposium. 

The sixth-annual Kemin Intestinal Health Symposium will include presentations from respected industry experts on informative topics that support the key pillars of intestinal health and provide holistic industry insights. Tune in to this free online event to learn more about microbiome and stress research, the importance of water quality for animal performance, feed biosecurity as it relates to gut health, and more. For more information, www.kemin.com/symposium

Animal agriculture is lagging when it comes to investment dollars. Why is that? 

In this episode we talk with Aidan Connolly of AgriTech Capital to get his thoughts on what the industry can do to catch up with other sectors in attracting investment.

Inflation is running rampant, with the cost of energy driving everything higher, including prices of meat and protein products at retail. And yet, inflation may also be removing some tariff barriers to U.S. meat exports.

In this episode we focus on the broader agricultural implications of nearly double-digit inflation, and then focus more specifically on its effects at the meat case.

This episode of Feedstuffs In Focus is sponsored by Topigs Norsvin, the second largest swine genetics company in the world. The TN70 is the flagship parent sow of Topigs Norsvin, described as being a self-reliant sow capable of raising her own pigs and requiring less human intervention in the farrowing house. When challenged with finding qualified employees, hire the TN70. Visit tn70.topigsnorsvin.com to see what producers are saying about their experience with the TN70. 

Keeping the U.S. pork supply safe and secure from the threat of Foreign Animal Disease – and preparing to maintain continuity of business should such an outbreak occur – is one of the key concerns of industry leaders. Stakeholders from across the pork value chain have been working diligently on plans and processes, redoubling efforts with regard to biosecurity and traceability in recent years.

Creating a system of cooperation and collaboration to prevent – or prepare for - foreign animal disease challenges has been one of the main areas of focus for the National Pork Board. Outgoing President of the Board Gene Noem, a producer from Iowa, sat down with Feedstuffs at World Pork Expo in Des Moines this week to discuss the challenge and the work he and his fellow farmer-leaders have done via the Pork Checkoff.

Stay tuned for our coverage of World Pork Expo in the pages of Feedstuffs – just visit Feedstuffs.com and click on “digital editions” – or watch interviews with industry leaders like Gene via our livestream video channel, Feedstuffs365.com and via our social media channels at Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

In 2022 it seems that the only certain thing in business is uncertainty. Supply chain issues, never experienced to this degree before, have created uncertainties in product availability, technology deployment, exports, processing, equipment repairs, and more, and Russia’s war in Ukraine has thrown in a multitude of additional uncertainties for food and ag that have not been seen in decades. 

Along with rising input costs for feed, fuel and fertilizer, overall the specter of inflation is front and center after being mostly absent for decades. Interest rate direction will also impact agriculture, particularly with regard to what all these uncertainties might hold for land prices.

During the main thrust of planting season we spoke with Randy Dickhut, Senior Vice President – Real Estate Operations with Farmers National Company during a segment on Feedstuffs 365, our live video streaming channel.

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

You can read more about the markets and overall agricultural economy in the pages of Feedstuffs – just visit Feedstuffs.com and click on “digital editions” – or watch interviews with industry leaders like Randy via our livestream video channel, Feedstuffs365.com.

To say that we live in interesting times, from an agricultural policy standpoint, might border on understatement. The regulatory, political, and trade environment in the animal agriculture space has rarely been more fraught. What does that mean for the feed and livestock industries? We’ll find out in this edition of Feedstuffs In Focus. 

Earlier this week as part of The Virtual BEEF Experience, an online event hosted by our sister publication BEEF, Feedstuffs editor Sarah Muirhead sat down with Farm Progress policy editor Jacqui Fatka for a rundown of some of the biggest topics facing livestock producers today in the policy arena. Here’s Sarah.

You can read Jacqui’s Inside Washington column each month in the new dynamic digital edition of Feedstuffs; the May issue is now available by clicking HERE.

One of the top leaders of the global feed industry previews an upcoming feed and livestock industry conference, in this edition of Feedstuffs In Focus.

Dr. Mark Lyons is president and CEO of Alltech, one of the largest players in the global feed industry, and the driving force behind the Alltech ONE Conference. In this episode Dr. Lyons previews the event, held in-person for the first time since 2019.

This episode is sponsored by Alltech, host of the Alltech ONE Conference, coming up May 22-24 both in Lexington, Ky., and virtually from anywhere around the world. Together we can spark meaningful change as we enter a new golden age of agri-food. The Alltech ONE Conference unites changemakers and thought leaders in a collaborative exploration of solutions within agribusiness and beyond. Learn more and register at one.alltech.com.

On the backside of a global pandemic that wreaked havoc on the global supply chain, the Russian invasion of Ukraine added further strain and chaos to the global marketplace. In the short run, the unprovoked war drove commodity prices higher, but what will the long-term consequences be for the global meat and animal feed markets?

In this episode we’ll dig into the broader implications of Russia’s war on Ukraine for the global meat trade. U.S. Meat Export Federation vice president of economic analysis Erin Borror explains that the war is impacting red meat availability and production, but is having an especially large impact on the cost and availability of key feed ingredients.

Borror also discusses how the war is accelerating consolidation in the European swine industry.

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

Rail service failures in recent months have led to widespread delays of train delivery at major grain export destinations. Failures and delays that have cost the grain industry more than $100 million through the first quarter of 2022, according to the National Grain and Feed Association.

NGFA testified this week before the Surface Transportation Board about those failures and costs to the industry, calling on the Board to implement financial incentives for the railroads to perform more efficiently – similar to what the railroads do to keep shippers loading and unloading rail cars as efficiently as possible. The Association also testified on a wide set of policy issues, from reciprocity on switching rules, requiring additional data reporting, and developing additional guidance to railroads on their statutory obligations on service.

In this episode we talk with NGFA Chief Economist Max Fisher about the current situation with the railroads, and what NGFA asked the Board to do to alleviate the burden on grain shippers and other agricultural customers.

RELATED: If you want to learn more about the problems facing U.S. transportation and logistics, including rail, truck and ocean freight shipments, visit Feedstuffs 365 and watch our recent interview with Ken Eriksen of S&P Global.

Researchers at Kansas State and Ohio State universities recently calculated that performance gaps between barrows and gilts cost integrated swine operations as much as $5.12 per gilt, a significant cost you might think of as “The Gilt Gap.”

Dr. Jason Woodworth, a nutritionist at Kansas State University, and Dr. Ben Bohrer, a meat scientist at The Ohio State University, conducted a statistical analysis of the combined results of 34 peer-reviewed scientific studies representing almost 16,000 pigs.

The study showed gilts were associated with 5.9% lower average daily gain, 11.4% lower average daily feed intake and 4.3% better feed efficiency rate compared with barrows. In this episode, Dr. Woodworth and his post-doctoral research associate Dr. Jamil Faccin share their findings about “the gilt gap” and what producers need to know about the gilts in their operation.

RELATED: Read more about the gilt gap at Feedstuffs.com, or watch our recent Feedstuffs 365 interview with swine industry consultant Steve Pollmann for some insights into the practical implications of the study.

Next month the Animal Agriculture Alliance will be under the leadership of a new president and CEO. 

The Alliance, a decades-old consortium of trade associations, companies and other stakeholder groups in the food animal sector, recently announced the promotion of Hannah Thompson-Weeman, the organization’s current vice president of strategic engagement, following the departure of its longtime president, Kay Johnson Smith. Johnson Smith, who has served as president and CEO across three decades, is joining the executive leadership team at Dairy MAX, a regional dairy council representing farmers in eight states in the southern and southwestern U.S. 

In this episode, we talk with Thompson-Weeman about the mission of the Alliance, how the societal conversation regarding animal welfare has evolved over the past 30 years, and her vision for the future of the organization.

According to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, the decoupling of fluid milk production and milk component production represents an important paradigm shift for the dairy industry given growing consumer demand for manufactured dairy products. More than 80% of U.S. milk production goes into dairy food products that rely on milk components while less than 20% goes into the fluid beverage category. Would U.S. milk composition and consumer demand benefit from a more comprehensive monthly report from USDA that includes milk, protein and butterfat production levels? 

Joining us in this episode to discuss this topic in more depth is Corey Geiger, lead dairy economist with CoBank. We caught up with Corey at this week’s World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis., 

This episode has been brought to you by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting the website at UnitedANH.com

Environmental compliance, right-to-farm laws, contracting issues and more. Agriculture is not without its legal risk management challenges, particularly in the livestock sector. What strategies can producers adopt to protect themselves from potential liability and litigation?

At the Midwest Poultry Federation Convention in Minneapolis, Minn., last month, attorney Paul Goeringer presented a workshop on understanding legal strategies used to avoid litigation in an ever-evolving regulatory environment. Goerginger is a Senior Faculty Specialist and the Extension Legal Specialist at the University of Maryland, and we sat down with him to discuss what livestock and poultry producers need to understand when it comes to legal risks and how best to manage those within their operations.

This episode is sponsored by Novus International, Inc., a leader in swine, poultry and dairy nutrition solutions driven by science. Novus’ products and services look at the whole animal, focusing on productivity and well-being, in order to feed the world affordable and wholesome food.

For more information, visit Novus’ website at www.novusint.com

You can see more of Feedstuffs' coverage of the Midwest Poultry Convention by visiting our video channel, Feedstuffs 365. Also watch your inbox for the latest dynamic digital edition of Feedstuffs, or access the issue by visiting Feedstuffs.com and clicking on “digital editions.”

After nearly two months of waiting, the U.S. Supreme Court this week announced they would be hearing the case brought by the National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation challenging California’s Proposition 12 requiring additional space requirements for gestating sows. The state law seeks to ban the sale of pork from hogs that don’t meet what agriculture groups describe as the state’s arbitrary production standards, even if the pork was raised on farms outside of California.

The NPPC-AFBF case, which argues that Prop. 12 violates the Constitution’s Commerce Clause, limiting states’ ability to regulate commerce outside their borders, was finally granted certiorari March 25. NPPC and AFBF will file their initial brief with the Supreme Court in the coming weeks; the Justices could hear oral arguments in the fall and could render a decision by the end of the year.

In this episode we talk with Travis Cushman, Senior Counsel for Public Policy at the American Farm Bureau Federation. Cushman is one of the attorneys working on the case on behalf of the agriculture industry.

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

Animal disease challenges are simply a part of life in livestock production, but some disease challenges are more problematic than others. One major problem facing the poultry industry this spring is highly-pathogenic avian influenza, a viral disease currently popping up in flocks and in wild birds across the country.

How well-prepared is the poultry industry for this challenge, what is the current state of affairs, and what can the swine industry learn from how chicken and turkey producers handle this latest outbreak?

At the Midwest Poultry Convention in Minneapolis. Feedstuffs' Andy Vance sat down with veterinarian Mark Bienhoff, leader of the pathogen control team at Kemin, to discuss high pathogenic avian influenza, and how this outbreak is similar or different from the major outbreak of 2015.

After listening to this week's episode, you can watch all of Feedstuffs coverage of the Midwest Poultry Convention via Feedstuffs 365, our live streaming channel, at Feedstuffs365.com. Also, look out for the next digital edition of Feedstuffs for an in-depth report on the high path AI situation. You'll find the dynamic digital edition of Feedstuffs at Feedstuffs.com.