As recently as five years ago, many in the U.S. pork industry felt the prospects of achieving 30 pigs/mated female/year (P/MF/Y) was a dream. Today, the 30-P/MF/Y goal can be and is being achieved on some select farms
A key determinant of amino acid requirements is whole-body protein deposition, which is very closely associated with lean tissue growth; these two measures are essentially interchangeable, according to Kees de Lange, swine nutritionist at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada....More
The spread of drought conditions into northwest Iowa and southern Minnesota – some of the most productive corn and soybean acreage in the country – has weather and economic analysts worried....More
Two timely nutrient data sets developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists are being used by the beef and pork industries to provide new Nutrition Facts labels for their products. Federal rules require specific meat and poultry products to carry new nutrition information.
Some retailers have started to implement the new rules, which had an original start date of Jan. 1. The start date has been moved back to March 1, giving retailers more time for implementation....More
The tax credit, which allowed ethanol blenders to save 45 cents/gallon on each year’s tax bill, and the tariff, which added 54 cents/gallon to the price of any ethanol imported into the United States, were mainstays of the federal government’s three-legged policy that contributed to the meteoric growth of corn-based ethanol production from 2006 through 2010....More
Kansas State University swine nutritionists are teaming up with their Iowa State University counterparts in asking swine producers, industry consultants and advisors to the pork industry to participate in an online survey about swine feed efficiency. The survey answers will help guide research direction and educational programs to improve feed efficiency and lower feed costs...More
Blast chilling systems, in which dressed pork carcasses pass through freeze tunnels of -15° F or colder for 1-3 hours after harvest, are used to increase packing plant throughput, enhance food safety and improve meat quality, particularly the water-holding capacity of muscles from stress-susceptible hogs...More
