economics

SwineCast 0755 Show Notes:

• At National Pork Industry Forum, Chairman of NPPC's Trade Policy Committee, Doug Wolf shares where the action is and what roadblocks are in the way.

Farm Accident or Disaster? Are You Prepared? Farming involves a large set of complex tasks with people to make them happen. And farming operations offer many types of opportunities for making mistakes. Hopefully those mistakes are small. But sometimes they can be big and dangerous. Your response can make the difference between a safe recovery to bodily injury plus complete loss of the farm, business, and income. Jerry Foster shares why having a response plan is important and highlights some of the areas in which to concentrate recovery plan designs.

Who Gets What and How? Estate planning joke: grim reaper at door of office "Relax, I'm from the IRS. Death and taxes have merged". Everyone will die and they will have things they want to have happen with their estate. There is always a plan in place, even if you do nothing. But that plan may not be what you want. Connie and Brent Haden, attorneys with Haden & Byrne, outline many of the tools to help families transition farms and businesses. There are always options but planning is key and starting sooner is better.

Pork Policy Update Government policies created by the federal legislature and agencies in Washington D.C. can have major impacts on the day-to-day life of pork producers. Dallas Hockman shares an update on the current issues of interest to the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) including the farm bill, sow housing, antibiotics, trade, the environment and more. This presentation gets you up to speed on the issues and offers opportunities for you to become more active in the political process with assistance from NPPC.

Show Me the Money! The fiscal year 2012 rode the roller coaster as a tremendous planting season was overshadowed by drought through the summer months. Producers saw profits dwindle away as corn and soybean meal prices skyrocketed and hog prices hovered with discussions of plentiful pork supply. Dr. Meyer shares his insight of what 2013 may hold in store for pork industry economics.

Consumers Demand Change Increasing pushes from retailers to shift away from gestation stall pork has many producers on edge about future decisions impacting their farms. Iowa Pork Producers Association policy supports all types of sow housing methods and believes in producer's right to choose what is best for their animals and employees. It is important for producers to make educated decisions as they look to update buildings or invest in new facilities.

This panel of producers, researchers and industry representatives share their experiences with alternative sow housing methods while evaluating management, costs, efficiencies and challenges. The panel also provided an update on retailer decisions to date and current industry response.

Strategies to Improve Swine Reproduction Dr. Ross discussed emerging and proven technologies within swine reproduction and shared how this technology may benefit your farm moving forward.