Pork Producers Hear About Environment and Education

March 14, 2001

Pork producers attending the National Pork Industry Forum in Orlando, FL, heard how more than $2 million in checkoff funds have been used for the "On-Farm Odor / Environmental Assessment Program," a program through which pork checkoff funds are used to pay for reviews of farms by unbiased, third-party environmental professionals.

Analysis of the environmental database showed that 87% of the challenges found in the on-farm assessment can be corrected by management and 67% of those were addressed within six months. The average time to address the challenge was 19 hours. The cost of changes ranged from none to $5,000. Most changes require continual management. The top challenge is the lack of a comprehensive environment plan. Most producers have a partial plan already developed.

The second most-cited challenge for pork producers is dust accumulation on fans, which increased interest in research on fans. Dust accumulation causes potential air and water quality concerns. It causes unnecessary potential odor both inside and outside the buildings. Also, it slows the air flow. Rather than being dispersed into the air, the dust accumulates outside and can be washed into surface water.

Checkoff-funded tools, such as pork industry benchmarks, are being developed to help pork producers compete in today's business environment, National Pork Producers Council Vice President of the Education, Environment and Production Research Earl Dotson told delegates.

"In our knowledge-based industry, the only sustainable competitive advantage is to apply knowledge faster than the competition," Dotson told 300 delegates. "Environmental issues are the No. 1 issue determining whether or not a producer stays in business. The national environmental database will help pork producers understand industry benchmarks."

Checkoff funds are used to create, maintain and analyze the environment database and the national production and financial standards database. Data collected from pork producers participating in checkoff-funded environmental, production and financial programs is confidential. The environmental data were generated from more than 1,700 on-farm environmental assessments. The financial data were generated from pork production and financial records reviewed from more than 300 producers in seven states.

Analysis of the pork production and financial standards database showed there are big differences in how pork producers keep financial records and all can benefit from standardized record keeping. When records are standardized, data can be compared and analyzed, helping producers stay competitive in an ever-changing marketplace. The database is available for producers to use. Collected data can be used for historical tracking and comparative analysis of pork production systems.

Without divulging details about any specific producer or operation, the data can be grouped and analyzed to provide additional knowledge to help producers. Data are separated from the individual pork producer, then grouped by state, region or nationally. The grouped data are analyzed to offer ideas for further research and education. Also, data grouped from on-farm assessments are being used to analyze pork production and to drive future research and education initiatives.

"Once established, both production and financial benchmarks will allow pork producers and their advisers to better understand the impact of production practices, new technology, debt, equity and capital in their operations," Dotson explained.

The standards will serve as the new knowledge base for the pork industry. To share the information already gathered, a curriculum has been developed for producers, lenders, veterinarians, extension and adult ag educators and chief financial officers. For producers, 22 classes are scheduled throughout the United States this year. Each producer will take six classes within a nine-month period. For the remainder of 2001, there is no additional charge for producers for the checkoff-funded classes.