For years the pork producers of this country have been able to participate in the Pork Checkoff. For a small fee off each one hundred dollars in value of hogs sold, the National Pork Board funds research and marketing to help make the raising of hogs be more lucrative for the producers across the country. I had the chance to talk with Scott Phillips of the National Pork Board (NPB) and got updated on where things are as 2021 comes to a close.
Phillips says that demand always remains top of mind for the NPB. The biggest threat and disruptor we could have to our supply chain could come from African Swine Fever (ASF), which we have so far kept from the United States.
With the threat of ASF, we see constant volatility in the market. One thing that producers need to realize is that over 50% of the world?s hog population has been affected. Phillips said thankfully the COVID pandemic helped mitigate the losses during the peaks of ASF, if anything good could come from a pandemic.
Phillips assures consumers that there is no threat to human health and that there are plans in place to mitigate the threat to the supply chain.
If a response is needed in the United States, Phillips says that regionalization will be key to stopping the spread and maintaining the supply chain.
For more information on the pork checkoff, visit porkcheckoff.org.
