3 months ago in Agriculture tomr Photo: WNAX
Pork producers are coming off a tough year due to COVID, but those attending the South Dakota Pork Congress are optimistic about 2021. South Dakota Pork Producers Council President Craig Andersen says both producers and meat packers are recovering from the pandemic and are focused on how they can use the lessons they’ve learned from it. This includes preparing for a foreign animal disease outbreak like African Swine Fever.
He says pork processors are back near full capacity after the COVID collapse, but the uncertainty has slowed down expansion in the industry.
Andersen says producers are recovering from the pandemic but the assistance in the COVID relief bill will hopefully keep some operations from going out of business.
3 months ago in Agriculture tomr Photo: WNAX Kerns and Associate’s Partners for Production Agriculture Economist Steve Meyer will be speaking at this week’s South Dakota Pork Congress in Sioux Falls. He says he’ll be talking about recovery of processing from the pandemic, pork demand, trade possibilities as well as producer’s cost of production.
He says China remains the largest market for U.S. pork although that business will likely decrease some this year.
Meyer says Mexico and Japan also will stay as important market destinations for U.S. pork.
Meyer says some of the participating countries in the Comprehensive Trans Pacific Partnership could be future markets for U.S. pork, although not expected right away in 2021.