Expo includes world’s largest pork-specific trade show.

May 24, 2017

4 Min Read
World Pork Expo seminars offer ideas, innovation for pork businesses
NPPC

Pork professionals attending the 2017 World Pork Expo will have the opportunity to hear the most up-to-date production information and ideas, as well as have access to world-class experts during a wide range of free educational seminars, scheduled throughout Wednesday and Thursday, June 7-8.

Attendees can participate in more than 15 presentations covering topics such as nutrition management, understanding consumers, data collection and more. The seminars are just a sampling of the many events presented at this year’s World Pork Expo, which runs June 7-9 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa, and is sponsored by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC).

“The expo seminars always present a wealth of information that producers can use to run efficient and responsible pork production businesses,” said NPPC president Ken Maschhoff, an Illinois pork producer. “I would encourage producers to bring their family and employees to expo. It’s a great place to expose them to the latest innovations and learn about research and new developments that they can apply when they return home.”

Business seminars

This year’s business seminars will outline new ways to manage swine herds from birth to market, as well as review technologies that can help producers stay competitive in today’s fast-paced world.

On June 7, Hamlet Protein will review the nutritional aspects of feeding challenged piglets, followed by a discussion on how fluctuating grain and protein markets influence decision-making and pig production. Tonisity will present three seminars, each on a different topic. The first will be a panel discussion on the economic power of pig health, including best management practices and guidance on managing stressful periods. The discussion will expand into proactive pig care, in which producers and other experts will share tips to reduce pre-weaning mortality, raise heavier pigs and increase income. The last Tonisity seminar will feature producers, pig caretakers and company personnel who will share their experiences using the first isotonic protein drink for pigs.

On June 8, the business seminars get an early start, with “Farm to Fork: Healthy Animals, Healthy Food, Healthy People,” presented by Zoetis. The seminar will focus on bridging the gap between modern pork production and consumers’ confidence in the pork products they buy. It will be repeated throughout the morning.

The Thursday afternoon session will focus on smart-barn controllers, electronic sow feeding, mobile-data collection and production software as experts discuss new-world technologies for pork producers. Presented by Maximus Systems and Maximum Ag Technologies the seminar will occur in segments that will outline steps to a seamless, integrated system of hardware and software for pork operations.

PORK Academy

Rounding out Expo’s seminar lineup is PORK Academy, with 10 additional free seminars presented by the Pork Checkoff. The PORK Academy sessions run throughout Wednesday and Thursday.

Wednesday’s seminar topics will include pork quality research, social media ideas for pork producers, employee compensation trends, feed-grade antibiotic alternatives and third-party audits for the farm.

On Thursday, the discussions will again begin with pork quality, followed by the Veterinary Feed Directive, sow housing tools, business continuity and the Secure Pork Supply Plan, as well as U.S. pork exports and global trade prospects.

The pork checkoff also will provide a weather, crop and hog market outlook session on both Wednesday and Thursday in its hospitality tent at 12:30 p.m.

Both the business seminars and PORK Academy will take place in the Varied Industries Building.

Many additional activities, as well as networking opportunities, will be available to attendees.

“Expo is a great place to interact with pork experts from veterinarians to researchers to allied industry to fellow producers,” Maschhoff said. “Anyone involved with pork production needs to spend some time at the World Pork Expo. In fact, the schedule is so filled with options that attendees should consider attending more than one day.”

The World Pork Expo features the world’s largest pork-specific trade show, with more than 320,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space and featuring hundreds of companies from around the world.

Attendees will also find no shortage of tasty grilled pork, including free lunches served at The Big Grill. The World Pork Expo Junior National youth hog show and educational events begin on June 5 and run throughout the week. Attendees can also consider signing up for the golf tournament and industry tours for additional networking and educational opportunities.

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