PorkNet Newsletter Readers,

Effective Friday Feb. 6, we are taking a break from publishing the daily PorkNet Newsletter and updating the PorkNet.com website on a regular basis.  The website will remain active and you will continue to have access to the archive. 

Our production management software, i-Production, continues to rapidly grow and we are focusing our efforts on expanding that portion of the MetaFarms business.

Source: PorkNet Editor

The Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA) is applauding a decision by a jury in Clay County ruling in favor of Bible Pork, a swine farm located near Louisville, Ill. A lawsuit brought forward by 15 neighbors claimed that the state of the art swine farm was a “nuisance” under Illinois law due to alleged odor.
 
“This ruling is great news for the livestock industry and all of agriculture,” said Phil Borgic, a pork producer from Nokomis and current President of IPPA. “Many times, as in this case, livestock operations are wrongfully attacked by people with misinformation and emotional rhetoric. This jury proved that in the end facts will prevail. We believe that this ruling will set precedent for future livestock related cases.”
 
Source: Illinois Pork Producers Association/ Press Release, Feb. 5, 2009

Iowa Pork Producers Association delegates voted to let the federal blender's tax credit and import tariff for ethanol expire at their current sunset dates at last week's annual meeting in Des Moines.

The blender's credit and import tariff are aimed at stimulating domestically produced renewable fuel use by consumers.

Source: AgriNews/ Jean Caspers-Simmet, Feb. 3, 2009
Source URL: http://webstar.agrinews.com/agrinews/294940248329309.bsp

The Pork Checkoff is offering six Transporter Quality Assurance® (TQASM) advisor training workshops in 2009.  The workshops will take place in Iowa and in Minnesota and are intended for individuals who want to train and certify producers, transporters and animal handlers in TQA. 

TQA certification of transporters delivering hogs is required by major packers in the United States.  The program focuses on promoting the well-being of pigs during moving and transport, and on improving the quality of pork and pork products.

Source: National Pork Board/ News Release, Jan. 30, 2009

As Iowa’s livestock industry struggles to overcome the economic downturn that began in 2008, a team of Iowa State University (ISU) Extension faculty and staff members in working to help cattle and hog producers with developing risk management strategies.
 
The Iowa Pork Industry Center (IPIC) and Iowa Beef Center (IBC) are partnering to present a Webcast on the topic on Monday, Feb. 16, from 7 to 9 p.m. People can view the webcast from a home computer or at any of the participating Iowa county ISU Extension offices. 

Source: Iowa Pork Industry Center/ E-mail, Feb. 3, 2009

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., (BIVI) announces the hiring of two brand managers to facilitate marketing and communications for their swine division’s FLEX line of vaccines.
 
Renier Pistorius has joined the BIVI swine division as the senior brand manager for the company’s mycoplasma pneumonia vaccine, Ingelvac MycoFLEX®. Most recently he was the global brand manager for the swine, cattle and poultry business with Alpharma Animal Health. Randy Buller also has joined the BIVI swine division as the senior brand manager for the company’s circovirus vaccine, Ingelvac CircoFLEX®. Buller spent 23 years with Elanco Animal Health, where he started as a sales representative.

Source: Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica/ Press Release, Feb. 5, 2009

Tom Weber, an ARS physiologist at the Swine Odor and Manure Management Research Unit in Ames, Iowa, says that rising feed costs and increasing use of corn for biofuel production have pushed swine producers to find new feed supplements for younger swine.

“Producers had already started using DDGS for older pigs, based on ARS studies of the benefits of supplementing swine feed with high-fiber byproducts such as DDGS. Now we’re looking at piglets.”

Source: Agriculture Research Service/ News & Events, February 2009
Source URL: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/feb09/ethanol0209.htm

The demand for the three major meats was down last year. Pork demand was down 3.5 percent, beef down 4.1 percent and broiler down one percent.

Demand weakness for all meats in the last year is probably mostly due to the weak general economy and relative high unemployment rate. Though the odds are very high that demand for meats will be down in 2009 from 2008.

Source: University of Missouri/ Glenn Grimes & Ron Plain, Feb. 6, 2009
Source URL: http://agebb.missouri.edu/mkt/bull1c.htm

Packers entered the week with ample supplies of retail product. Combined with continued large harvest rates, and lethargic retail movement caused product to struggle to trade at steady price levels. In spite of these conditions, spareribs were able to end the week at steady prices and pork
loins were only slightly lower.

Midweek renewed export interest on boston butts allowed them to trade slightly higher. Prices for processing cuts began to show signs of rebounding, indicating that current pricing may have found levels that satisfied both sellers and buyers. As the Easter holiday approaches, heavy hams began to draw interest from ham boners.  However, lighter weight hams continued to be under downward pressure.  

Source: USDA/ Market News, Feb. 6, 2009
Source URL: www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/nw_ls850.txt

Compared to last week, grain bids closed mix.  Outside market pressure from lower stock market and crude oil, along with a higher dollar drove the market lower. 

Argentina weather has some slight improvements with more rain in the forecast adding some weakness to corn and soybeans.  However, rain was taken out of the forecast going forward rallying the soybean market. 

Source: USDA/ AMS, Feb. 6, 2009
Source URL: http://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/SJ_GR851.txt