September 2011 - Iowa Pork Producers Association

The DVD is accompanied by a wall chart that also depicts
the steps required to submit an oral fluid sample to a
diagnostic lab. To order, call (800) 456-7656.
Swine ID critical to safeguard U.S. herd
Nearly all (95 percent) of the nation’s pork producers
have registered their premises and obtained
a nationally standardized farm identification
number, typically referred to as a standard premises
identification number (PIN).
According to Patrick Webb, Pork Checkoff director
of swine health, this demonstrates the clear
understanding by producers of the importance of
implementing the Swine ID Plan, which provides the
industry a standardized animal identification and
pre-harvest traceability system for animal health that
is consistent across all states.
“Having the traceability infrastructure in place at
the state and national level is crucial for maintaining
and expanding export markets,” Webb said. “It offers
the industry an invaluable tool to use in the event
of a foreign animal disease, as well as a layer of
protection that would not otherwise be possible.”
The “Just Think Pink” campaign is continuing to
encourage the use of official pink PIN tags for the
identification of breeding stock entering harvest
channels. The official tags enhance pre-harvest
traceability of sows and boars, further enhancing
industry-supported disease surveillance programs and
the ability to detect and contain diseases more quickly.
The official PIN tags are printed with the USDA shield
and the premises identification number. Producers
also can add customizable production numbers,
eliminating the need for a separate management tag.
in June put pork top-of-mind and face-to-face with
more than 700 key culinary influencers.
From the presentation, “What Every Food Pro Should
Know (And Is Not Afraid to Ask) about Today’s
Agricultural Practices: A Farmer Face-to-Face on
Pork Production” to the National Pork Board’s
presence at the meeting’s culinary expo, IACP proved
again to be an impactful way to engage with this
important audience.
Presentation panelists included pork producers Brad
Greenway and Tim Beeler as well as moderator Charlie
Arnot from The Center for Food Integrity. The trio
offered the culinary attendees a complete picture of
pork production and the opportunity for a candid
face-to-face conversation with producers from both
conventional and niche operations and an industry
expert.
The attendees were engaged and asked a range of
questions on topics like cost, antibiotics, feeding,
labeling and food safety.
The National Pork Board has responsibility for
Checkoff-funded research, promotion and consumer
information projects and for communicating with
pork producers and the public. Through a legislative
national Pork Checkoff, pork producers invest $0.40
for each $100 value of hogs sold. The Pork Checkoff
funds national and state programs in advertising,
consumer information, retail and foodservice
marketing, export market promotion, production
improvement, technology, swine health, pork safety
and environmental management. For information on
Checkoff-funded programs, pork producers can call
the Pork Checkoff Service Center at (800) 456-7675 or
check the Internet at www.pork.org.
Pork producers converse with culinary
influencers
The 2011 International Association of Culinary
Professionals (IACP) Annual Meeting in Austin
SEPTEMBER 2011
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