Congress Returns to Address Funding and Farm Bills Congress has returned to Washington, DC, for a two-week session, aiming to pass another short-term funding measure and extend the 2018 Farm Bill through a continuing resolution before the December 20 deadline. The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) advocates for a new Farm Bill, emphasizing the importance of: Doubling USDA’s Market Access and Foreign Market Development Program funding. Supporting resources to protect the U.S. food supply from foreign animal diseases. Reauthorizing and increasing funding for the Feral Swine Eradication Program. Addressing issues related to California Proposition 12. The Farm Bill is critical as it shapes agricultural policy for the next five years, including disease prevention and export promotion programs. Court Halts Corporate Transparency Act A U.S. District Court has temporarily blocked enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), which required corporations, including pork operations
Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Recommends Eating Less Red Meat The advisory committee for the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans has issued a recommendation to reduce red meat consumption and increase plant-based proteins like beans, lentils, and soy. This change, if adopted by USDA and HHS, could reframe federal nutrition guidelines, affecting programs like school lunches. The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) has strongly opposed the recommendation, citing scientific evidence supporting the nutritional value of animal-based proteins like pork, which provide essential amino acids and nutrients at a low caloric cost. NPPC Vice President and Iowa pork producer Rob Brenneman emphasized that “animal protein consumption is a vital component of a healthy, sustainable diet.” EPA Finalizes New Rule Limiting Rodenticide Use The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized regulations requiring farmers to obtain certification or hire certified applicators to use rode
An out-of-feed event on a farm can cause major problems in just a short amount of time. Having a back-up plan can allow for feed to be manufactured, delivered and placed in feeders in a timely manner during times of crisis while the producer continues to run an operation like normal. A new publication from Iowa Pork Industry Center, “Contingency Planning: Feed,” explains potential feed supply interruptions and management considerations for developing contingency plans, according to an Iowa State University Extension news release. Iowa State University Extension swine specialist Mark Storlie authored the publication and said daily feed supply is important for the growth and general well-being of sows, piglets and market pigs. “Unexpected incidents can derail your plan to have a timely feed supply,” he said. “While some incidents are unforeseeable, all events can be minimized through contingency planning.” Several different factors serve as potential interruptions to an operation. S
Kansas State University swine nutritionist Jason Woodworth says 70% of the costs in swine production relate to feed — a figure that can be reduced by substituting conventional crude protein sources like soybean meal with synthetic amino acids. While that practice cheapens rations, it creates imbalances in amino acid to crude protein, which caused Woodworth and other researchers at Kansas State University to investigate how to economically formulate swine diets while keeping growth on track. “When adding target amino acids and removing some of the crude protein that comes with the soybean meal, we can get into deficiencies of other non-essential amino acids or some of the other active components that soybean meal brings to the diets,” he said in a university news release. In turn, Kansas State University master’s student Jessica Smallfield completed multiple feeding trials looking at the effects of standardized ileal digestible lysine to crude protein ratio on the growth performance
The current deal between Canada Post and CUPW will extend to May 2025
