The 18th annual event at the Iowa State Fairgrounds attracts a diverse crowd.

More than 31,000 people from across the nation and around the globe descended on Des Moines, IA, on June 8-10 to attend the top pork extravaganza sponsored by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC).

Visitors sampled pork barbecue, visited the 1,000 exhibit booths of 450 companies, watched pig races and breeding stock and junior pig shows, participated in various educational seminars and listened to bands crooning out the oldies.

An estimated 2,300 international visitors from some 50 different countries made the trek to the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

“This World Pork Expo was a huge success,” says NPPC President Joy Philippi, a pork producer from Bruning, NE. “We had pork producers and swine industry representatives from across the country, and visitors from Canada, Mexico, Japan and dozens of other countries. This is the premiere event for our producers, an opportunity for us to showcase our industry and let producers know what NPPC is doing to keep our industry competitive.”

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns addressed NPPC's 2007 Farm Bill Policy Task Force; visited “ID Alley,” a USDA-NPPC booth where pork producers could register their premises; and spoke to NPPC Strategic Investment Program members at lunch.