2009 "perfect storm" for pork producers
By Jean Caspers-Simmet
simmet@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 02/11/2010 8:02 AM
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DES MOINES — Pork producers have been experiencing the perfect storm, said outgoing Iowa Pork Producer Association president John Vossberg.
The Janesville pork producer reflected on the past year during a speech to delegates at last week's annual meeting in Des Moines.
Global economic recession, increased productivity of herds, political trade barriers, H1N1 impact and higher input costs combined to create a year of challenges, but Vossberg said he has hope.
"The cash market strengthened late in the year, which is certainly unusual," Vossberg said.
Production is slowly declining, but improved markets are due to the demand side, Vossberg said. Exports are improving with USDA projecting that U.S. pork exports will rebound 10.1 percent in 2010 and returnexports close to 2008's record level.
"We should certainly have a stronger market on the horizon if these predictions become reality," Vossberg said.
He said association leaders have met with state and federal officials, lenders, other farm organization leaders, retailers, pork producers from other countries, economists and university officials to seek waus to assist producers.
"The reality is that there are no silver bullets to assure our economic survival as pork producers," Vossberg said. "From my perspective, the most help will come from an economic recovery both in the U.S. and globally."
Vossberg said he is grateful to retailers and food service operators who partnered with IPPA and the National Pork Board to aggressively promote pork.
"There have been many creative efforts to feature a wide variety of pork cuts to consumers both in Iowa and beyond the state's borders," Vossberg said.
No one can look back at 2009 without talking about H1N1 influenza, Vossberg said.
He said IPPA, the National Pork Board, NPPC and allied industry had an "all hands on deck" approach to addressing the crisis.
"It was truly amazing as individual pork producers called local media outlets, state and national pork producer leaders and staff engaged with media across the U.S. and beyond, university officials reached out to correct misunderstandings, state government officials addressed concerns and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack relentlessly challenged the media to be accurate in their reporting," Vossberg said. "Multiple times those who engaged the media pointed out that there are a lot of hardworking families who livelihood depends on conveying the correct message that pork is safe."