Kansas State University Newsletter

KPA News

KPA News

May 2, 2008

Legislation introduced asking Congress to assist pork producers

At the KPA's request, Representative Sharon Schwartz, Washington, introduced HCR 5041 which urges Congress to support the United States Department of Agriculture in taking immediate action to examine a number of options to assist Kansas pork producers.

KPA staff, Tim Stroda, testified on the Resolution Thursday before the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Committee. The Committee favorably recommended the measure to the House Appropriations Committee.

Later in the day, the pork industry received the positive news from USDA outlined in the story below.

At this point, no further action is planned on the measure.

To view the resolution, click on HCR 5041.

Agency Will Purchase Additional Pork Products For Food Assistance Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 1, 2008 – The National Pork Producers Council commended the Bush administration for its decision to lend assistance to U.S. pork producers to help them weather the current economic crisis in the hog business.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will purchase up to $50 million of pork products, which will be donated to child nutrition and other domestic food assistance programs.

NPPC officers and top staff recently met with Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer to urge him to take immediate action to address a crisis that over the past seven months has cost the pork industry more than $2.1 billion. Due mostly to a doubling of feed costs, producers have lost $30-$50 on each hog marketed over the last 30 days.

Economists have estimated that the industry will need to reduce production by at least 10 percent – meaning a reduction of 600,000 sows – to restore profitability. Such a cutback, however, could result in less-efficient packing plants closing, less manure for crop fertilizer and correspondingly a need for more man-made, foreign-produced fertilizer, a hike in pork retail prices because of a smaller supply and lost jobs.

“The action by USDA to buy additional pork will benefit America’s pork producers, the U.S. economy and the people who rely on the government’s various food programs,” said NPPC President Bryan Black, a pork producer from Canal Winchester, Ohio. “It will help our industry reduce the herd and thereby bring supply and demand back into balance and allow producers to continue to provide consumers with economical, nutritious pork.”

In its meeting with Schafer, NPPC requested that USDA purchase an additional 50.5 million pounds of pork – in 2007 it bought 43 million pounds – for various federal food programs. This would reduce the U.S. sow herd by nearly 163,600 animals. The organization also asked that the secretary implement emergency programs and loan guarantees to help producers purchase feed, consider allowing early release without penalty of non-environmentally sensitive Conservation Reserve Program acres back into crop production and support pork exports through USDA’s Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program.

KPA Staff speaks to Kansas Ag Bankers meeting

Tim Stroda, KPA staff, spoke to about 125 members of the Kansas Ag Bankers Association at a conference held earlier this week in Manhattan. Stroda's presentation gave a review of the issues that have provided the current challenges facing the industry. He also provided information detailing the positive outlook provided by the demand for pork.

Stroda encouraged the group to educate themselves about the pork industry and work to communicate with their pork-producing clients to alleviate any surprise issues as the industry works toward profitability.

Risk Management:
An Interactive Educational Series for Pork Producers

The CME Group, Pork Checkoff and KPA have come together to develop this complimentary series of risk management Webinars – online, interactive presentations that give you direct
access to industry professionals.

Choose from the Introductory or Advanced Tracks based on your experience and educational needs. To see more information, click on Risk Management

Register by Friday, May 16 at www.cmegroup.com/porkwebinars.
Please contact your state pork association or Pork Checkoff at 800 456 7675 with questions.

New Youth Video Now Available

The KPA, working with the National Pork Board and other state associations, has created a new video showcasing the pork industry. The Kansas version includes information about the industry's economic contribution to the state. The video is aimed at the lower grade school level children. The KPA has been furnishing copies of the video to teachers participating in Ag Days across the state. To receive a copy, contact the KPA office at 785-776-0442 or kpa@kspork.org.

To view the video, click on The Amazing Pig

Please note: this version is very compacted. The DVD is much higher quality.

The Wichita River Festival will be the first stop on the National Pork Board's The Other White Meat Tour, a marketing campaign to educate consumers about all things pork.

Kansas producers are encouraged to be a part of the event. The drawing above shows the layout of the promotion with spaces for producers to grill and sample as well as interact with consumers (handing out recipe brochures, encouraging consumers to enter the drawing for a free grill, etc.).

The biggest benefit producers can provide is the interaction with consumers, answering questions and talking about pork production.

The KPA is asking for volunteers for the following dates and times. There is room for up to seven producer volunteers on each shift. The KPA will pay mileage to the event. Please note: producer volunteers must be 16 years of age. To volunteer, please call the KPA office at 785-776-0442 or e-mail to kpa@kspork.org.

Saturday, May 10th
Shift 1
8am – 2pm

Shift 2
2pm – 8pm

Sunday, May 11th
Shift 1
11am – 4pm

Shift 2
4pm – 9pm

In response to a producer request, the KPA has developed a spreadsheet aimed at providing a livestock producer a simple tool to help estimate the value of the operation's manure. To utilize the tool, you will need to have a manure analysis. The tool uses your local cost of anhydrous and 11-52-0 to find the value of either liquid or solid manure. The type of application is also a part of the calculations. While the spreadsheet was designed for pork producers, the value of any type of livestock manure can be found. If you have questions, please call Garry Keeler at 785-594-2166.

To download, place click on Manure Value

KPA Community Outreach Program

The Pork Community Outreach is designed to assist individual pork producers in becoming more involved and positively visible in their local communities. The KPA is offering matching funds on the expenses on selected community relations activities. The purpose of this program is to multiply the positive effects of pork producer involvement in the communities where hogs are raised.

To be eligible you must:

Fill out a cost share request form and submit it to the KPA at least two weeks prior to your event and submit design ideas to the KPA so that appropriate logos and messages may be included.

The KPA provides promotional signs for each event.

To find more information about the program, click on Community Outreach

Garry Keeler, program coordinator for Kansas GOLD Inc., is now working to update the yearly information needed to recertify facilities. Kansas GOLD Inc. will be contacting producers as their certification becomes due. The program has also recently started working with several producers to begin the process of applying for new permits.

The GOLD program is designed to ensure that when a regulator visits your farm, the information they request can be found easily and is packaged in a pre-approved format. The process begins with a visit to your farm by the Kansas GOLD coordinator, who will begin by examining your KDHE permit for each facility number. This permit tells the coordinator what information needs to be collected and kept on file.

Kansas GOLD Inc. provides a cost-effective manner to ensure your operation is in compliance. For information, please click on GOLD or contact the KPA office at (785) 776-0442 or e-mail to kpa@kspork.org



NPPC News

WEEK ENDING May 2, 2008

FARM BILL NEARING COMPLETION

U.S. House and Senate Farm Bill negotiators this week closed talks on most titles of the 2008 Farm Bill, including the new Livestock Title. NPPC secured a number of provisions beneficial to the U.S. pork industry and kept out of the legislation several detrimental ones, including a ban on packers owning livestock. Congress also this week approved a two-week extension of the 2002 Farm Bill until May 16.

USDA AGREES TO HELP U.S. PORK PRODUCERS

The Bush administration yesterday agreed to NPPC’s request for assistance to U.S. pork producers to help them weather the current economic crisis in the hog business. The president announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will purchase up to $50 million of pork products, which will be donated to child nutrition and other domestic food assistance programs. NPPC officers and top staff last week met with Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer to urge him to take immediate action to address a crisis that over the past seven months has cost the pork industry more than $2.1 billion. Due mostly to a doubling of feed costs, producers have lost $30-$50 on each hog marketed over the last 30 days. Economists have estimated that the industry will need to reduce production by at least 10 percent – meaning a reduction of 600,000 sows – to restore profitability. Such a cutback, however, could result in less-efficient packing plants closing, less manure for crop fertilizer and correspondingly a need for more man-made, foreign-produced fertilizer, a hike in pork retail prices because of a smaller supply and lost jobs. In its meeting with Schafer, NPPC requested that USDA purchase an additional 50.5 million pounds of pork – in 2007 it bought 43 million pounds – for various federal food programs. This would reduce the U.S. sow herd by nearly 163,600 animals. The organization also asked that the secretary implement emergency programs and loan guarantees to help producers purchase feed, consider allowing early release without penalty of non-environmentally sensitive Conservation Reserve Program acres back into crop production and support pork exports through USDA’s Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program. NPPC will continue to urge USDA to adopt the other recommendations.

COMMISSION REPORT OVERLOOKS PORK PRODUCERS’ PROGRESS ON CHALLENGES

Recommendations issued Tuesday by the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production if implemented likely would raise the cost of producing food animals and increase meat prices in the face of a global food crisis, according NPPC. Based on a $3.4 million, two-year “study” of the affects of livestock production on the environment, public health and rural economies, the recommendations include phasing out certain production practices, banning certain animal antibiotics and placing new restrictions on the use of manure. The commission overlooked the substantial progress made by the nation’s pork producers in addressing all of those issues, said NPPC. Data from eight of the top 10 swine-producing states show, for example, that since 2000 less than 1 percent of hog farms have had a manure release. Additionally, NPPC pointed out, a tough new federal water pollution regulation covering CAFOs, which is due out late this summer, will protect water supplies from pollution from all large livestock operations by imposing a zero-discharge policy. Most swine CAFOs already comply with the rule. The organization disputed the commission’s characterization that large animal feeding operations are bad for the rural economy, pointing out that pork operations alone are major contributors to farm communities, generating more than 550,000 mostly rural jobs and contributing an estimated $20.7 billion of personal income and $34.5 billion of gross national product to the economy. NPPC also questioned the objectivity of the commission, whose work was directed by the Center for a Livable Future, which is part of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Among the center’s projects is “Meatless Mondays.”

NPPC PARTICIPATES IN USDA/DHS AGRICULTURE INSPECTIONS CONFERENCE

At the invitation of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Agriculture, NPPC this week participated in a Joint Stakeholders Conference to review the effectiveness of agriculture inspection functions transferred from USDA to DHS when it was created in March 2003. NPPC has long maintained a keen interest in inspection activities at ports of entry because of the threat of foreign animal diseases being introduced through transiting passengers and cargo. USDA Secretary Ed Schafer and DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff updated conferees on the renewed commitment of both agencies to fulfilling their mission of safeguarding American agriculture. Other high level officials of both agencies gave presentations on their efforts to improve agriculture inspections. Stakeholders were asked for their input on needed improvements as the agencies work to assimilate the agriculture inspection activities into the existing functions of DHS’s Customs and Border Protection. NPPC was able to make its views known on the importance of excluding exotic pests and diseases by focusing more attention on ports in the country of origin rather than having the U.S. border as the first line of defense. Suggestions also were made for how to measure the effectiveness of Customs and Border Protection inspections.

NPPC PARTICIPATES IN NAFB ‘WASHINGTON WATCH’

NPPC’s Kirk Ferrell, vice president for public policy; Nick Giordano, vice president and international trade counsel; and Dr. Jen Greiner, director of science and technology, Monday participated in the National Association of Farm Broadcasters’ “Washington Watch.” They conducted a number of interviews with the broadcasters in attendance, getting out NPPC’s messages on the Farm Bill, the current economic crisis in the hog business, free trade agreements and legislation to reauthorize the Animal Drug User Fee Act.

WHAT’S AHEAD

WORLD PORK EXPO

The 20th annual World Pork Expo will be held June 5-7 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. As the largest pork-industry trade show and exhibition in the world, the expo draws more than 30,000 pork producers, exhibitors and visitors from across the country and around the globe. For more information, visit the World Pork Expo Web site at http://www.worldpork.org.

National Pork Board News

May 6 PorkCast Offers Estate Planning Tips

You know the survival of your operation depends on proper farm transfer planning, and the next online PorkCast slated for May 6 from 1-2 p.m. can help jumpstart the estate planning process.

“This PorkCast will provide basic information that farm families and individuals need to know,” says Trudy Wastweet, education director for the Minnesota Pork Board. “We encourage you to include your family members and business partners when you view this PorkCast, because it’s an important topic for everyone.”

PorkCast seminars, which are delivered by the Minnesota Pork Board, the Pork Checkoff and University of Minnesota Extension, are free and require no pre-registration. During the May 6 PorkCast, Gary Hachfeld, a University of Minnesota Extension educator, will discuss:

• how to establish a transfer and estate planning team
• business entities and transfer strategies
• tax issues for farm businesses
• treatment of heirs
• financial assistance programs for the next generation

To take part in the “Farm Transfer and Estate Planning” PorkCast, log onto the University of Minnesota's Swine Extension Web site http://www.extension.umn.edu/swine/porkcast/. Click on the Farm Transfer Estate Planning link and follow the instructions.

“Don’t worry if you miss the May 6th PorkCast because you’re busy with fieldwork,” says Wastweet, who notes that all PorkCast presentations are archived online at http://www.extension.umn.edu/swine/porkcast/. “You can view past webcasts whenever it’s convenient for you.”

Keeping current
Online participants will need either broadband or high speed Internet access, a web browser, Macromedia Flash player and sound capability (speakers) to access PorkCast seminars. Prior to the PorkCast, you’re encouraged to test your connection and verify availability of Flash on your computer. Go to https://umconnect.umn.edu/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm and follow the testing connection prompts.

For technical support, go to http://umconnect-support.umn.edu.

More PorkCast seminars are being planned for 2008, Wastweet adds. “We keep our finger on the pulse of the swine industry, so PorkCast seminars address timely issues affecting producers.”

Pork Hooks Publicity at World Sailfish Championship

One of the largest fishing tournaments in the world has reeled in a great catch when it comes to exceptional cuisine.

“Ironically, a lot of people who fish competitively prefer to eat pork rather than fish,” says Mike Walser, retail marketing manager, eastern division, for the National Pork Board. “As official meat of the 2008 World Sailfish Tournament in Key West, Fla., pork received great exposure through national television, web site advertising and print advertising, with no Pork Checkoff investment required.”

Dubbed the “Super Bowl of Sailfishing,” the sailfish challenge has become one of South Florida’s most prestigious sailfish tournaments. At the 6th annual competition, elite anglers competed for $125,000 in prizes, including a $100,000 first-place cash award. In 2008, Hormel Foods and America’s Pork Producers joined together to sponsor the mid-April tournament, which featured three days of hard-fought fishing complemented by three evenings filled with celebrities, gourmet meals and VIP parties.

“The World Sailfish Tournament is known for taking care of corporate America and serving top-notch cuisine,” says Christopher King, tournament chairman. “It was fantastic to have American’s Pork Producers back on board. From the ribs at the kickoff party to the tenderloin at the banquet, the pork was amazing.”

Plans are already underway to help pork make a splash at the 2009 World Sailfish Tournament. In addition to sponsorship opportunities, the Pork Checkoff will invite one of its Celebrated Chefs to present the main pork entrée at the awards banquet. As the 2008 World Sailfish Tournament proved, a successful Pork Checkoff event isn’t always measured by how much money exchanges hands or how many pounds of pork are sold. Leveraging resources is the key, Walser says.

“There are a lot of big names who attend the World Sailfish Tournament, including hotel owners, and the Pork Checkoff made a lot of good contacts here this spring. These connections are creating exciting opportunities to promote pork in new venues.”

Culinary Professionals Party with Pork

With its popular trade show booth and two pork producers available to answer questions, the pork industry stood out in the crowd at the 30th annual conference of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) in New Orleans.

“I was glad to see that we were almost preaching to the choir there,” says Steve Weaver, vice president of the National Pork Board, who owns a 60-sow farrow-to-feeder pig operation near Elk Grove, Calif. “IACP members are a key group of influencers, and it’s important that the Pork Checkoff continues to provide them with a source of credible information.”

With a global membership of nearly 4,000, IACP boasts a “Who’s Who” of the world of food. More than 1,000 chefs, cookbook authors, food editors and other culinary professionals who attended the IACP conference in mid-April had the opportunity to visit with Weaver and fellow pork producer John Adams. The pair promoted The Other White Meat at the Checkoff’s Mardi Gras-themed exhibit, which offered the latest in pork information and recipes and materials, along with samples of Ham Jambalaya and Cajun Pork Dry Rub.

“We appreciated the opportunity to keep pork top-of-mind and present pork production in a positive light,” says Adams, who finishes approximately 5,000 hogs each year on his farm near Snow Hill, N.C.

More than fun and games
To entice IACP members to visit the Pork Checkoff’s booth, the Pork Checkoff mailed a pre-conference invitation, complete with a purple, glittery Mardi Gras mask and a plastic pig snout. To sweeten the deal, attendees who visited the pork booth wearing their swine snout were given two chances to enter in a drawing to win a gift certificate for the IACP bookstore.

“A writer at Betty Crocker.com also blogged about this fun promotion, which gave pork more publicity,” says Pamela Johnson, director of consumer communications for the National Pork Board.

At the Culinary Showcase, visitors had the opportunity to learn pork facts and win a pork-themed t-shirt by playing the “Pork Word Jumble-laya” game. As they waited in line, IACP members could watch a DVD of pork producers and industry experts answering questions about pork.

Pork says “Bon Appetit, Y’all”
As an added bonus at this year’s IACP conference, the Pork Checkoff teamed up with Atlanta resident Virginia Willis, a regional winner of the 2007 “Grilling Grates from the 50 States” Checkoff-sponsored pork grilling contest. To celebrate the launch of Willis’ new cookbook, “Bon Appétit, Y’all!,” the Checkoff provided pork to feature Coca-Cola Glazed Ribs, ham sandwiches and other Southern classics.

“Once we meet IACP members at the annual meeting, they contact us throughout the year for pork-related information, recipes, photography and more,” says Johnson, who notes that plans are underway to attend the 2009 IACP conference in Denver, Colo. “We want IACP members to know that the Pork Checkoff is their trusted resource for all things pork.”

Market Analysis

The KPA provides comments from analysts on a periodic basis. Their opinions and comments represent the opinions of the commentators--they do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Kansas Pork Association.

Glenn Grimes & Ron Plain,
University of Missouri - Columbia
May 2, 2008

Demand for pork from January-March of this year was up slightly from a year earlier at the consumer level. However, demand for beef at the consumer level was down 3 percent from the same three months in 2007.

Demand for broilers for January-March was up 3.2 percent and turkey was up 7.7 percent from twelve months earlier.

Demand for live hogs for the first three months of 2008 was up a whopping 8.0 percent from the same months in 2007. For these three months, the demand for live fed cattle was up 0.2 percent from a year earlier. The large increase in live hog demand was due to the sharply higher pork exports in 2008 than in 2007. The stronger live fed cattle demand then consumer demand for beef was also largely a result of larger exports and smaller imports.

Live hog weights for barrows and gilts last week in Iowa-Minnesota at 264.6 pounds were down one pound from a week earlier and down 2.9 pounds from a year earlier. Average carcass weight for barrows and gilts finally dropped to a year earlier level for the week ending April 12th and 19th. Hopefully we will continue to see a bigger decline in weights than normal as we move from spring to summer.

On Tuesday, the Food, Safety and Inspection service, a branch of the USDA, announced they were notified last week that four pork plants will be ineligible to export pork to Russia because of violations of Russia’s drug tolerances. The futures market responded by being 200-290 points lower at the close then a day earlier. On Wednesday, the futures market rallied and on Thursday was $5.26 per cwt to $0.90 per cwt lower than the close on Friday, April 25th.

Sow and gilt slaughter continues to run well above a year earlier. Gilt slaughter since the 1st of March through the week ending April 26 has been up over 2 percent and sow slaughter through the week ending April 19th from March 1 has been up 11.9 percent from twelve months earlier. This data continues to indicate some sell-off of the breeding herd is occurring.

Pork product prices pushed higher again this week with the cut-out per 100 pounds of carcass at $74.38 per cwt Thursday afternoon up $2.17 per cwt from a week earlier. Loins were at $104.67 up $9.59 per cwt, Boston butts were at $77.96 up $0.18 per cwt, hams were at $54.20 down $6.73 per cwt and bellies were at $84.98 per cwt up $4.08 from seven days earlier.

Live hog prices Friday morning were up $3-4 per cwt compared to a week earlier. Weighted average negotiated carcass prices Friday morning were up $1.13-1.80 per cwt compared to seven days earlier.

The weighted average negotiated carcass prices were western Cornbelt $72.55 cwt, eastern Cornbelt $70.18 per cwt, Iowa-Minnesota $72.63 per cwt and nation $71.27 per cwt.

The top live hog prices at select markets were Peoria $45 per cwt, Zumbrota Minn. $51 per cwt and interior Missouri $52.75 per cwt.

Slaughter this week under Federal Inspection was estimated at 2155 thousand head up 9.3 percent from a year earlier but down 4.3 percent from a week earlier.

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KPA News

April 25, 2008

KPA working with State Legislators and State Agencies to Address Industry Issues

Tim Stroda, KPA staff, and John Bottenberg, KPA lobbyist, met this week with Legislative leaders, Jeremy Anderson, policy director for Governor Sebelius, and representatives of other selected agricultural organizations to provide information on the current status of the pork industry. KPA provided information outlining the causes behind the devastating losses being endured by our industry. The KPA asked the Governor's office for assistance in working with state agencies in case of an emergency feed situation caused by economic issues. KPA also asked the group for assistance in sharing information about our industry's situation.

Officers and top staff with NPPC Wednesday met with Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer to urge him to take immediate action to address what now is a hog industry economic crisis, which likely will affect the broader U.S. economy. Over the past seven months, U.S. pork producers have lost more than $2.1 billion. Due almost solely to a doubling of feed costs, producers now are losing $30-$50 on each hog marketed. Lenders are estimating that some producers could lose up to half or more of the equity in their operations by year-end. Economists have estimated that the industry will need to reduce production by at least 10 percent – meaning a reduction of 600,000 sows – to restore profitability. But that cutback could be costly, with less-efficient packing plants closing; less manure for crop fertilizer and correspondingly a need for more man-made, foreign-produced fertilizer; a hike in pork retail prices because of a smaller supply; and lost pork industry jobs. Other industries that benefit from pork production, such as Main Street businesses, feed mills and trucking companies, also likely would see job losses. Additionally, there likely would be agricultural credit problems as some producers default on loans. During discussions with Schafer – and in a letter presented to the secretary – NPPC President Bryan Black, a pork producer from Canal Winchester, Ohio, requested that USDA purchase an additional 50.5 million pounds of pork for various federal food programs. This would reduce the U.S. sow herd by nearly 163,600 animals. Black also asked that the secretary implement emergency programs and loan guarantees to help producers purchase feed, consider allowing early release without penalty of non-environmentally sensitive Conservation Reserve Program acres back into crop production and support pork exports through USDA’s Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program.

New Youth Video Now Available

The KPA, working with the National Pork Board and other state associations, has created a new video showcasing the pork industry. The Kansas version includes information about the industry's economic contribution to the state. The video is aimed at the lower grade school level children. The KPA has been furnishing copies of the video to teachers participating in Ag Days across the state. To receive a copy, contact the KPA office at 785-776-0442 or kpa@kspork.org.

To view the video, click on The Amazing Pig

Please note: this version is very compacted. The DVD is much higher quality.

The Wichita River Festival will be the first stop on the National Pork Board's The Other White Meat Tour, a marketing campaign to educate consumers about all things pork.

Kansas producers are encouraged to be a part of the event. The drawing above shows the layout of the promotion with spaces for producers to grill and sample as well as interact with consumers (handing out recipe brochures, encouraging consumers to enter the drawing for a free grill, etc.).

The biggest benefit producers can provide is the interaction with consumers, answering questions and talking about pork production.

The KPA is asking for volunteers for the following dates and times. There is room for up to seven producer volunteers on each shift. The KPA will pay mileage to the event. Please note: producer volunteers must be 16 years of age. To volunteer, please call the KPA office at 785-776-0442 or e-mail to kpa@kspork.org.

Friday, May 9th
Shift 1
5pm – 9:30pm

Saturday, May 10th
Shift 1
8am – 2pm

Shift 2
2pm – 8pm

Sunday, May 11th
Shift 1
11am – 4pm

Shift 2
4pm – 9pm

In response to a producer request, the KPA has developed a spreadsheet aimed at providing a livestock producer a simple tool to help estimate the value of the operation's manure. To utilize the tool, you will need to have a manure analysis. The tool uses your local cost of anhydrous and 11-52-0 to find the value of either liquid or solid manure. The type of application is also a part of the calculations. While the spreadsheet was designed for pork producers, the value of any type of livestock manure can be found. If you have questions, please call Garry Keeler at 785-594-2166.

To download, place click on Manure Value

KPA Community Outreach Program

The Pork Community Outreach is designed to assist individual pork producers in becoming more involved and positively visible in their local communities. The KPA is offering matching funds on the expenses on selected community relations activities. The purpose of this program is to multiply the positive effects of pork producer involvement in the communities where hogs are raised.

To be eligible you must:

Fill out a cost share request form and submit it to the KPA at least two weeks prior to your event and submit design ideas to the KPA so that appropriate logos and messages may be included.

The KPA provides promotional signs for each event.

To find more information about the program, click on Community Outreach

Garry Keeler, program coordinator for Kansas GOLD Inc., is now working to update the yearly information needed to recertify facilities. Kansas GOLD Inc. will be contacting producers as their certification becomes due. The program has also recently started working with several producers to begin the process of applying for new permits.

The GOLD program is designed to ensure that when a regulator visits your farm, the information they request can be found easily and is packaged in a pre-approved format. The process begins with a visit to your farm by the Kansas GOLD coordinator, who will begin by examining your KDHE permit for each facility number. This permit tells the coordinator what information needs to be collected and kept on file.

Kansas GOLD Inc. provides a cost-effective manner to ensure your operation is in compliance. For information, please click on GOLD or contact the KPA office at (785) 776-0442 or e-mail to kpa@kspork.org

NPPC News

WEEK ENDING April 25, 2008

NPPC ASKS CONGRESS TO REAUTHORIZE ANIMAL DRUG USER FEE LAW

NPPC today urged Congress to reauthorize the Animal Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA), after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Thursday sent recommendations for the law to Capitol Hill. Enacted in 2003, ADUFA authorizes FDA to collect fees from the animal health industry to be used for the review and approval of animal health products. The fees supplement the agency’s annual congressionally-approved appropriations and have enabled FDA to dramatically reduce its review time of new animal drugs, bringing medications to the market more quickly while maintaining high standards for safety and effectiveness. Since ADUFA was signed into law, three new swine health products have come on the market, helping producers fight the increasing challenges that swine respiratory diseases have created for the industry. Additionally, last year alone, veterinarians and pet owners received nine new products to help pets live longer, healthier lives. Among its recommendations, FDA proposed a new user fee program – the Animal Generic Drug User Fee Act (AGDUFA) – to support the review of generic animal drug applications. Currently, FDA’s review of generic animal drugs is entirely funded through appropriations. The agency also recommended an “end review amendment” process, which would allow it to work with a drug manufacturer at the end of a review to make corrections to an application, resulting in reduced review time. FDA also asked that the reauthorized law include an agreement between the agency and industry to participate in 10 workshops over the next five years to improve communications between regulators and industry. Lawmakers are expected to take up reauthorization of ADUFA, which is expected to generate $98 million in user fees over the next five years – AGDUFA is estimated to bring in $27 million – in the coming weeks. The law must be reapproved every five years.

NEW CHALLENGE FACING PORK INDUSTRY

Pork exports through the first couple of months of the year are at record levels – up 47 percent from 2007 levels, representing 20 percent of U.S. pork production. But the growth of exports should be higher. A lack of shipping containers and cargo space – another challenge for an industry that already is dealing with rising feed costs and tightening credit markets – is limiting the amount of U.S. pork that can be sent overseas. There are a number of factors causing the shortage, including high fuel costs, which make it uneconomical to move containers from ports to the middle of the country – where many pork packing plants are located; a weaker U.S. economy, which has made the most profitable trade route from Asia to Europe, prompting shipping companies to relocate resources to those areas; and a declining U.S. dollar, which has allowed overseas customers to buy more U.S. food and feed products, demanding more containers and cargo space. NPPC is considering solutions to the situation but options are limited given that the problem is one of supply and demand.

FARM BILL EXTENDED AGAIN

The U.S. House and Senate this week passed another one-week extension of the Farm Bill. President Bush is expected to sign the extension, which would give members of the House-Senate Farm Bill conference committee more time to negotiate details of a final bill, including how to pay for the multi-billion-dollar measure.

WHAT’S AHEAD

WORLD PORK EXPO

The 20th annual World Pork Expo will be held June 5-7 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. As the largest pork-industry trade show and exhibition in the world, the expo draws more than 30,000 pork producers, exhibitors and visitors from across the country and around the globe. For more information, visit the World Pork Expo Web site at http://www.worldpork.org.

National Pork Board News

Pork Producers Celebrated Earth Day

In celebration of Earth Day, April 22, pork producers showcased some of their environmental efforts online at www.pork.org .
"Pork producers can be proud of their environmental record," said Lynn Harrison, a pork producer from Elk Mound, Wis. "We strive to make our environment a good place for our families, our communities and our animals. As an industry, we work hard to protect the Earth's natural resources and wildlife."

Harrison and several other producers will be featured in the Pork Checkoff's campaign to promote its environmental message and efforts. "We hope to reach audiences outside of the industry. Other industries can learn from our efforts and customers and consumers can learn more about how we protect the land, water and air while we produce a safe and nutritious product," he said.

The Pork Checkoff offers many tools, in print and online, for producers to learn about air quality, odor, water quality, manure application, etc.

Four brochures on mitigating odor from pork production are available at no cost to producers from the Pork Store, http://porkstore.pork.org/producer, including:

· Basic Management Practices to Mitigate and Control Odors from Swine Operations

· Swine Manure Storage and Handling Practices to Minimize Odors

· Swine Manure Land Application Practices to Minimize Odors

· Siting and Building Considerations to Reduce Odor Potential from Swine Facilities

A fifth brochure, Feed Management Practices to Minimize Odors from Swine Operations, is currently under development.

An Air Quality Assessment Tool is also available to help producers identify ways to reduce air emissions and odor from animal housing structures, manure storage systems and nutrient land application. The tool is available here: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/airquality/practices/homepage.html.

Through the Pork Checkoff's Web site, producers, researchers, students and others can access a database of research related to environment and swine production.

Pork Checkoff Retail Activities in Full Swing

Across the nation, 42 retail promotions are planned for the first two quarters of 2008. From in-store cooking demonstrations to consumer sweepstakes to meat manager incentive sales contests, the Checkoff is working with America's retailers to move pork.
Publix, Safeway, Kroger, Winn-Dixie, Sam's Club and SuperValu are only a few of the retail partners the Checkoff is utilizing to move an estimated 162 million lbs. of pork during the first two quarters of 2008.

"This will result in an estimated 16 percent increase in incremental tonnage for the first two quarters," said Jarrod Sutton, Pork Checkoff's director of retail marketing. "We are in the process of working with retailers to solidify activities for the remainder of the year with the goal to increase incremental pork tonnage by 200 million lbs."

Producer Volunteers Needed to Complete Group Sow Housing Survey
If your operation produces more than 10,000 pigs per year, houses gestating sows in groups and has done so for at least 12 months, and keeps accurate production records, you can help the industry. The Pork Checkoff is looking for producer volunteers to complete a survey of production systems with group housing of gestating sows. The objectives of the survey are:
1) To understand the factors that contribute to successful group housing systems from an economic, production, health, well-being, and worker safety perspective, and

2) To gain a better understanding of sow housing systems currently in use throughout the industry.

U.S. Pork Exports Continue to Break Records

U.S. pork exports in February reached 346 million pounds, or 156,969 metric tons, a 55 percent jump over export totals from February 2007, according to statistics compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF ). The February results helped the U.S. pork industry achieve its fifth consecutive month of record-breaking exports, including variety meats.

For January and February 2008, pork and pork variety meat exports are up 41 percent, totaling 671.6 million pounds, or 304,651 metric tons, valued at $685 million.

"One in every five pigs, about 20 percent, produced in the U.S. was exported during these two months," said Tim Bierman, a producer from Larrabee, Iowa.

On a volume basis China/Hong Kong was the largest market for U.S. Pork and pork variety meats for January and February 2008 with 164.7 million pounds or 74,745 metric tons. That is a 287 percent increase over the same time period in 2007. However, Japan remains No. 1 on a value basis at $210.9 million, or 31 percent of total pork and pork variety meat export value.

Among other highlights from the two-month period for pork plus pork variety meat exports:

Japan: up 4 percent to 143 million pounds or 64,927 metric tons.
Mexico: up 2 percent to 122 million pounds or 55,384 metric tons, but still trailing the record export volumes of 2006.
Canada: up 28 percent to 59.4 million pounds or 26,955 metric tons. Exports were basically on track with the strong volumes recorded during the final quarter of 2007, reflecting large live hog imports from Canada.
Russia continues to be a tremendous growth market: 164 percent growth to 58.9 million pounds or 26,716 metric tons, including 21,812 metric tons of muscle cuts and 4,904 metric tons of variety meats. February exports at 34.8 million pounds or 15,786 metric tons were nearly equal to the monthly record of 35.1 million pounds set in November 2007.
South Korea: down 2 percent to 53 million pounds or 24,051 metric tons, but February exports were larger than any monthly volume last year with the exception of December. Also note that South Korean import statistics show imports from the United States up 10 percent while imports from the EU are down 16 percent and those from Canada are down 10 percent.
ASEAN: exports to the Philippines increased 141 percent to 7.6 million pounds or 3,470 metric tons and exports to Vietnam grew from essentially zero to 2.4 million pounds or 1,099 metric tons. Total exports to the region in February, nearly 6.7 million pounds, surpassed the monthly record set in December 2007.
EU: exports were up 83 percent to 11.6 million pounds or 5,275 metric tons, primarily destined for France at 4.4 million pounds, Germany at 1.8 million pounds and Italy at 1.3 million pounds. However, USMEF notes that U.S. exports, reported by the Department of Commerce, are significantly larger than EU imports, reported by the European Commission. For example, Department of Commerce pork export stats for January 2008 show 3.8 million pounds while EU stats show 2.0 million pounds of pork imports from the United States.
Caribbean: up 42 percent to 8.3 million pounds or 3,780 metric tons, including exports to the Dominican Republic up 200 percent to nearly 2.8 million pounds.
Central and South America: up 4 percent to 11.7 million pounds or 5,337 metric tons led by Honduras up 3 percent to 3.5 million pounds.
Oceania: down 16 percent to 14.6 million pounds or 6,635 metric tons, but Daley notes the good news that the Australian Productivity Commission released its final report and did not recommend safeguard action against pork exports to Australia. Therefore, the United States can continue to export pork to Australia duty-free.
Taiwan: down 19 percent to 5.1 million pounds or 2,341 metric tons as market access issues continue to impede U.S. pork exports.

Market Analysis

The KPA provides comments from analysts on a periodic basis. Their opinions and comments represent the opinions of the commentators--they do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Kansas Pork Association.

Glenn Grimes & Ron Plain,
University of Missouri - Columbia
April 25, 2008

The odds are high that April hog slaughters will exceed ten million head, up about 18 percent from a year earlier. However, April this year had one more week day slaughter than a year earlier. The slaughter increased on a daily basis up about 14 percent from 2007.

Demand for live hogs continues to be very good. For January-March, live hog demand this year was up 8.0 percent from a year earlier. A significant portion of this live hog demand growth can be attributed to growth in pork exports. Remember February pork exports were up about 55 percent from a year earlier.

The odds appear very high that hog producers are reducing the breeding head. Since March 1, gilt slaughter based on our sample has been up 2 percent and sow slaughter has been up 11 percent from a year earlier after adjusting for herd size.

The average weight of barrows and gilts in Iowa-Minnesota for the week ending April 19 was at 265.6 pounds down 0.8 pound from a week earlier and down 3 pounds from a year earlier.

Pork product prices pushed higher again this week with the cut-out per cwt of carcass at $72.21 per cwt Thursday afternoon up $4.51 per cwt from seven days earlier. Loin prices at $95.08 per cwt up $4.99 per cwt, Boston butts at $77.78 per cwt up $7.12 per cwt, ham at $80.90 per cwt up $6.85 per cwt from a week earlier.

The future market continues to show the potential for larger than normal price increases from here to the summer contracts. One cannot rule out the possibility that these prices will develop but it takes a sizzling hot demand or smaller slaughter than now indicated or some combination of both factors.

The futures market has offered a higher market than the spot market for hogs since the 15th of August last year. The futures market based other market contract had premiums to cash of around $30 per head last winter and were about $5.50 per head above last year in mid week.

Cold storage stocks of pork at the end of March were up 8 percent from a month earlier and up 33 percent from a year earlier. There are trade reports that at lease a part of the increase in cold storage stocks are due to a short supply of shipping constraints for pork exports. At least they do not appear to be having much negative impact on the seasonal increase in hog prices.

Cash live hog prices this Friday morning were up $3.00–5.75 compared to last Friday. The weighted average carcass prices for negotiated hogs were up $3.97 to 7.34 compared to a week earlier.

The top live price for select market Friday morning were: Peoria $42.00 per cwt, Zumbrota Minnesota $47.00 per cwt and interior Missouri $49.00 per cwt. The weighted average negotiated per cwt, western Cornbelt $71.10 per cwt, eastern Cornbelt $68.40 per cwt, Iowa-Minnesota $71.50 per cwt and nation $69.47 per cwt.

Slaughter this week under Federal Inspection at 2251 thousand head up 13.5 percent from last year.

Feed pig prices this week at United Tel-O-Auction were steady to $15 per cwt lower than two weeks ago. The prices by weight groups this week at United were: 50-60 pounds $57.00-81.50 per cwt and 60-70 pounds $53.00-57.00 per cwt.

The Canadian April 1 Hogs and pigs report show the total head down 11.7 percent but the imported number the breeding herd is only down 4-6 percent and the 2nd quarter farrowing inventories are only down 1.8 percent. Progress, but very slow based on profitability.

KPA News

March 24, 2008

Governor proclaims March 20th Kansas Agriculture Day

Governor Kathleen Sebelius signed a proclamation declaring March 20th as Kansas Agriculture Day. To celebrate, the Kansas Departments of Agriculture and Commerce and several agricultural organizations sponsored a luncheon for legislators that featured many Kansas foods, including delicious, nutritious Kansas pork.

Displays showcasing Kansas agriculture were set up in second floor rotunda by the following groups:
Kansas Pork Association
Kansas Department of Agriculture
Kansas Department of Commerce
Kansas Farmers Union
Kansas Farm Bureau
Kansas Corn Commission
Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission
Kansas Wheat
Kansas Soybean Association/ Commission
Kansas Cotton Association
Kansas Beef Council

“In Kansas, we have a strong agricultural tradition that predates our statehood, and it provides the foundation of our state’s economic well-being,” Sebelius said. “But agriculture is more than the bedrock of our economy; it’s also a launching point for future economic growth.”

Sebelius identified agriculture as a key industry important to the state’s innovation-based economy when she announced the Kansas Innovation Consortium earlier this year.

“Kansas has already made great strides toward building a strong innovation-based economy by blending technology with agriculture to develop specialty products like ethanol, biodiesel, biobased lubricants and fibers,” Sebelius said. “Emerging ventures and new opportunities like these will enhance agriculture’s role in Kansas.”

Sebelius noted that because of the commitment and hard work of farmers and ranchers statewide:

· Kansas produces more wheat, grain sorghum and beef than any other state in the nation;

· Kansas ranks third in sunflower production, ninth in corn and hog production, eleventh in soybean production and sixteenth in milk production;

· Cash receipts for farm marketings totaled $10.3 billion in 2006, or 4.3 percent of the U.S. total; and

· Kansas ranks sixth in farm product exports, which were valued at $3.2 billion in 2006.

“I urge all Kansans to join me in celebrating all that agriculture has contributed, and promises to contribute, to our health, our way of life and our future prosperity,” Sebelius said.

Lieutenant Governor Mark Parkinson offered remarks and read Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ proclamation declaring March 20 Kansas Agriculture Day. Also speaking were Secretary of Agriculture Adrian Polansky and Secretary of Commerce David Kerr. Sen. Mark Taddiken, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Rep. John Faber, chair of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee also made remarks.

Secretary of Agriculture Adrian Polansky spoke at the Kansas Ag Day event in Topeka.

To celebrate Kansas Ag Day, several agricultural organizations sponsored a luncheon for legislators that featured many Kansas foods, including delicious, nutritious Kansas pork.

KPA Legislative Update

Week Ending - March 21

Committee Activity

The Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee attempted to work SB 624 and SB 601, which concern Stranger Oriented Life Insurance (STOLI), which is when a stranger, with no insurable interest in the life of the insured, induces older individuals to obtain life insurance policies with a loan and premium financing from the company. SB 624 is the NAIC model law, while SB 601 is the bill backed by the STOLI investors. Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger supports the approach taken in SB 624, while several committee members favor SB 601.

The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on SB 481, which Adds Salvia Divornorum and Gypsum Weed to the list of Schedule I controlled drugs. The proponents of the bill included law enforcement and a county prosecutor. The prosecutor noted that since Gypsum Weed grows wild on many Kansas farms, farmers and landowners would not be prosecuted unless they were actively cultivating the weed.

The House Appropriations Committee passed HB 2974, which authorizes up to $105 million in state bonds for construction of a gas-fired power system for a potential National Bio and Agro-Terrorism Defense Facility. The Legislature apparently has until the end of the month to get a bill passed or risk being cut from the list of states that the Department of Homeland Defense is considering for the project.

The House Insurance and Financial Institutions Committee passed out favorably SB 560, which enacts the Property/Casualty Flex-Rating Regulatory Improvement Act. The Act allows an insurance filing that provides for an overall statewide rate increase or decrease of no more than 12 percent in the aggregate for all insurance coverages that are subject to the filing, with an effective date of filing.

The Senate Transportation Committee passed out Senate Substitute for HB 2559, which enacts a graduated drivers license system. A learner’s permit could be issued to a person between 15 and 16, but a supervisory driver would have to be seated in the front passenger seat, and every passenger would have to be wearing a seat belt. A person could get a restricted class C or M license if they were between 16 and 18 and under certain circumstances, such as the person has held an instruction permit for one year. The bill retains the ability of a 14 year old to get a farm permit.

Floor Action

The House passed SB 579, which requires that state agencies consider the effects of rules and regulations on small businesses, by a vote of 122-0; HB 2938, which allows the Department of Revenue to decide sales tax exemptions, 96-26; SB 614, which concerns the Kansas Electric Transmission Act, 123-0 and SB 526, which concerns enhanced wireless services, by a vote of 123-0.

The Senate passed SB 541, which contains several health care measures, by a vote of 30-8; Sub SB 535, which limits the growth of some credit unions, 35-2 and SB 629, which requires health insurers to pay some of the costs of clinical trials for cancer treatment, by a vote of 39-0.

Action by the Governor

Signed HB 2578, which allows adult care homes, mail service pharmacies and medical care facilities to donate unused medications to indigent health care clinics; signed HB 2071, which names several highways for veterans and vetoed House Substitute for SB 327, the “Holcomb Power Plant” bill. In connection with her veto, the Governor issued Executive Order 08-03, which establishes the Kansas Energy and Environmental Advisory Group.

The Governor also issued a proclamation that declared March 20th, 2008 as Kansas Agriculture Day.

Next Week

The Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee will hold an informational hearing on H Sub for SB 113, which would prohibit an insurer from recouping an erroneous insurance payment to an insured after 18 months from the date of issuance.

The Senate Utilities Committee will hold a hearing on SB 692, which establishes the Joint Committee on Energy and Environmental Policy.

The Senate Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing on SB 660, which would enact a statewide prohibition on smoking in indoor public areas.

The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee will hold a hearing on HB 2207, which concerns emergency proceedings of the Kansas Board of Pharmacy.

The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Committee will hold a hearing on Sub for SB 453, which establishes the Kansas Commission on Rural Policy.

International News

Bacteria found in pork products

By Canadian Press

Canadian researchers have found antibiotic-resistant Staph bacteria in pork products purchased in retail stores across the country — a discovery that raises questions about how the contamination occurred, how frequently it happens and whether it has implications for human health.

Just under 10 per cent of sampled pork chops and ground pork recently purchased in four provinces tested positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA, lead researcher Dr. Scott Weese reported Wednesday in a presentation to the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta.

The bacteria would be destroyed by proper cooking, so Staph food poisoning is not a major concern, said Weese, an expert on zoonoses, the pathogens that pass back and forth between people and animals. But he wondered whether people handling meat with MRSA on its surface would end up inadvertently “colonizing” themselves. People who carry the bacteria on their skin or in their nostrils are at greater risk of going on to develop a Staph infection, which can range from a hard-to-heal boil to pneumonia to a potentially deadly bloodstream infection.

“My main concern is: if there’s MRSA on the surface of a pork chop and someone’s handling it and then they touch their nose, could they transmit it from the pork chop to their nose?” noted Weese, a veterinarian based at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph. “If they do what they’re supposed to do in terms of meat handling, then it should be perfectly safe. But do people do that is the question?”

Where MRSA infections were once mainly acquired in hospital, in recent years increasing rates of infections have been recorded in people who haven’t been in hospitals and haven’t been taking antibiotics. The startling rise in so-called community acquired MRSA infections in the United States — a trend which is now being seen in parts of Canada — has led scientists to look for ways to explain the changing pattern of infections.

But Weese said it is too soon to conclude that MRSA in meat might be playing a role. “It’s way too early to say that it does. But we have to look at whether it does.” “Basically my take-home message is I’m not going to stop eating pork because of this,” he said. “I’m going to keep washing my hands and pay attention to how I handle it. And that’s all I think I need to do.”

This is the first confirmed report of MRSA in retail meat in North America and one of fewer than a handful of such reported findings in the world. A group of Dutch researchers reported last fall that they had isolated MRSA from two pork samples in the Netherlands. And Japanese scientists reported in 2005 that they had found MRSA in two samples of raw chicken.

Weese’s team decided to look for MRSA in pork meat after finding the superbug in Ontario pigs, work that was reported last November in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. He admitted they currently don’t know how much significance to place on the presence of the bacteria on the meat. Nor do the testing methods they used allow them to say if the meat was teeming with MRSA, or simply carrying small amounts of the bacteria.

In an interview, he described the research as a step-wise process.

“Step 1 is: Is it in pigs? Step 2: Yes, it’s in food. Step 3: ... How much is there? Is it one organism or is it a billion?”

“The techniques we use are fairly sensitive and they don’t quantify. It’s a Yes-No (answer),” he explained.

“Now we need to refine that and say: OK, how much is there? Where is it? And in the broad scheme where did it come from and does it actually cause a problem?”

The meat was purchased through the Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance, a Public Health Agency of Canada program that looks for antibiotic resistant bacteria in food and food animals. To date Weese’s team has tested 212 meat samples bought in four different provinces. Most were pork chops but the group also tested a few pork shoulder roasts and some ground pork.

None of the pork roasts carried the bacteria but an equal percentage of pork chops and ground pork did. The rates of positive MRSA tests ranged from zero per cent in one province to 33 per cent in another. Weese didn’t want to name the provinces.

Molecular analysis of about half of the isolated bacteria show a mix of strains. Some could not be typed, which suggests they are probably MRSA strains known to infect pigs, Weese said. But of those strains that could be typed, some were of a common human strain while others were of a type known to infect both horses and humans.

National News

Colorado lawmakers considering protections for veal calves, pigs

March 18, 2008

State lawmakers are considering new regulations for the treatment of veal calves and pregnant pigs.

The Senate gave initial backing to the measure on Tuesday.

Democratic Sen. Jim Isgar says the bill is the result of a compromise between the state agriculture commissioner and animal rights groups. He said the intent is to prevent those groups from pursuing a ballot initiative with stricter regulations opposed by the livestock industry.

The bill requires that calves raised for veal and gestating sows must be able to stand up, lie down and turn around without touching the sides of their pens. Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor and face a penalty of up to 12 months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

KPA develops Spreadsheet on Value of Manure

In response to a producer request, the KPA has developed a spreadsheet aimed at providing a livestock producer a simple tool to help estimate the value of the operation's manure. To utilize the tool, you will need to have a manure analysis. The tool uses your local cost of anhydrous and 11-52-0 to find the value of either liquid or solid manure. The type of application is also a part of the calculations. While the spreadsheet was designed for pork producers, the value of any type of livestock manure can be found. If you have questions, please call Garry Keeler at 785-594-2166.

To download, place click on Manure Value

Pork advertising airing during KSU Basketball Games

Listeners to K-State basketball games are hearing pork advertising during each basketball broadcast. The stations carrying the broadcast are listed below.

BELOIT KVSV-AM 1190 AM
CHANUTE KINZ-FM 94.3 FM
CLAY CENTER KCLY-FM 100.9 FM
COLBY KXXX-AM 790 AM
CONCORDIA KCNK-AM 1390 AM
COPELAND/DODGE CITY KSKZ-FM 98.1 FM
COFFEYVILLE KGGF-AM 690 AM
EMPORIA KVOE-FM 101.7 FM
GOODLAND KKCI-FM 102.5 FM
GREAT BEND KZLS-FM 107.9 FM
HIAWATHA KNZA-FM 103.9 FM
HUTCHINSON KHMY-FM 93.1 FM
JUNCTION CITY KJCK-AM 1420 AM
JUNCTION CITY KBLS-FM 102.5 FM
KANSAS CITY WHB-AM 810 AM
LIBERAL KSCB-AM 1270 AM
MANHATTAN KMKF-FM 101.5 FM
MANHATTAN KMAN-AM 1350 AM
MARYSVILLE KNDY-AM 1570 AM
NORTON KQNK-AM 1530 AM
NORTON KQNK-FM 106.7 FM
PHILLIPSBURG KKAN-AM 1490 AM
PHILLIPSBURG KQMA-FM 92.5 FM
PRATT KWLS-AM 1290 AM
RUSSELL KRSL-AM 990 AM
SALINA KSAL-AM 1150 AM
SENECA KMZA-FM 92.1 FM
SCOTT CITY KSKL-FM 94.5 FM
TOPEKA KDVV-FM 100.3 FM
WICHITA KFTI-AM 1070 AM
WINFIELD KKLE-AM 1550 AM

Lower Republican River streamflow information now online

The Kansas Department of Agriculture has launched a new
web page to help water users in the lower Republican River basin access
information about streamflow conditions and whether water use will be
curtailed to reach minimum desirable streamflow.

The web page is at www.ksda.gov/appropriation/content/301/cid/1388.

“This is the time of year I start getting calls from irrigators with questions
about streamflow and water use, and I intend to tell them that most of the
information is now online,” said Katie Tietsort, water commissioner for
the division of water resources Topeka field office. “The good news right
now, of course, is that streamflow is adequate to allow water use.”

Under Kansas law, when flow drops below an established threshold,
pumping restrictions are imposed to protect existing water rights and to
meet in-stream water uses related to water quality, fish and wildlife, and
recreation. These minimum desirable streamflow requirements were
made part of the Kansas Water Appropriation Act by the 1984 Legislature,
and they affect only those water rights granted after April 12, 1984.

Last June, the chief engineer of the division of water resources lifted
pumping restrictions that had been in place since 2002 on 177 water
rights along the Republican River in Clay, Cloud, Jewell, Republic
and Washington counties. The restrictions were imposed because
streamflow remained below minimum desirable streamflow values.
Heavy precipitation in spring 2007 brought back higher sustained
flows.

In recent years, water users in the Republican River basin have been
allowed to enter into agreements with the division of water resources
to use at least some groundwater or surface water, even while minimum
desirable streamflow administration is underway. The chief engineer
decided to make consent agreements available again in 2008, but only
if and when MDS administration becomes necessary.

For the time being, Republican River flows remain above MDS trigger
levels. The agency will notify affected water users in the area if conditions
change in the coming weeks and months requiring MDS administration.

Water right holders who want to know more about Republican River MDS
issues are encouraged to check out the new web page or to contact the
division of water resources field office in Topeka at (785) 368-8251 or
Stockton at (785) 425-6787.

KPA Community Outreach Program

The Pork Community Outreach is designed to assist individual pork producers in becoming more involved and positively visible in their local communities. The KPA is offering matching funds on the expenses on selected community relations activities. The purpose of this program is to multiply the positive effects of pork producer involvement in the communities where hogs are raised.

To be eligible you must:

Fill out a cost share request form and submit it to the KPA at least two weeks prior to your event and submit design ideas to the KPA so that appropriate logos and messages may be included.

The KPA provides promotional signs for each event.

To find more information about the program, click on Community Outreach

Garry Keeler, program coordinator for Kansas GOLD Inc., is now working to update the yearly information needed to recertify facilities. Kansas GOLD Inc. will be contacting producers as their certification becomes due. The program has also recently started working with several producers to begin the process of applying for new permits.

The GOLD program is designed to ensure that when a regulator visits your farm, the information they request can be found easily and is packaged in a pre-approved format. The process begins with a visit to your farm by the Kansas GOLD coordinator, who will begin by examining your KDHE permit for each facility number. This permit tells the coordinator what information needs to be collected and kept on file.

Kansas GOLD Inc. provides a cost-effective manner to ensure your operation is in compliance. For information, please click on GOLD or contact the KPA office at (785) 776-0442 or e-mail to kpa@kspork.org

NPPC News

March 14, 2008

CONGRESS EXTENDS FARM BILL AGAIN
The U.S. Senate and House voted to extend the 2002 Farm Bill until April 18. Originally, the five-year law was set to expire Sept. 30, 2007; it was extended once to March 15. The new deadline gives lawmakers more time to reach an agreement on how to pay for an additional $10 billion in Farm Bill spending above the baseline of about $280 billion over five years. Once they reach agreement on these so-called off-sets, conference committee members can begin working on each title of the Farm Bill.

NPPC URGES IMPLEMENTATION OF CROSS-BORDER TRUCKING PROGRAM
NPPC joined a number of agricultural and business organizations and companies in urging Congress to fully implement the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Cross Border Trucking Pilot Program” with Mexico consistent with U.S. trade obligations under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Under NAFTA, Mexican motor carriers by now should have been allowed to transport international cargo inside the United States – the agreement does not allow them to transport domestic U.S. cargo – but to date they have been prohibited from hauling cargo into and out of the United States. In February 2001, a NAFTA dispute-settlement panel unanimously ruled that the blanket exclusion of Mexican trucking companies violated U.S. obligations under NAFTA, giving Mexico the right to retaliate against an equivalent amount of U.S. trade, which Mexico estimates to be as much as $2 billion per year. In a March 10 letter sent to every member of Congress, NPPC and the other organizations urged lawmakers to oppose attempts to halt or impede the pilot trucking program, including restricting funding for it. Disruption of the program, they pointed out, will come at a considerable cost to U.S. workers, farmers, businesses and consumers.

CANADA DELAYS IMPLENTATION OF NEW LABELING REQUIREMENTS FOR PORK IMPORTS
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency Feb. 27 agreed to grant an indefinite delay in the implementation of a change in nomenclature/labeling for all pork exported into Canada that was set to take effect March 10, 2008. The change would have affected all U.S. exports into Canada, the U.S. pork industry’s second largest market in value terms. NPPC played a significant role in helping persuade Canada to delay the change, pointing out the negative impact on trade it would have.

NPPC SUPPORTS REAUTHORIZATION OF ANIMAL DRUG USER FEE ACT
NPPC urged reauthorization of the Animal Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA) at public hearing held Wednesday. Barb Determan, a pork producer from Iowa and NPPC past president, told a panel of officials with the Federal Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine that ADUFA is a critical tool needed by the pork industry and veterinarians. Since it was signed into law, three new swine health products have come on the market, helping producers fight the increasing challenges that swine respiratory diseases have created for the industry. Additionally, last year alone, veterinarians and pet owners received nine new products to help pets live longer, healthier lives. Legislation to reauthorize ADUFA is expected to be introduced in Congress after a public comment period, which ends April 14. The law, enacted in 2003, authorizes the Food and Drug Administration to collect fees from the animal health industry to be used for the review and approval of animal health products. The FDA review and approval process for animal health products is very rigorous. To win approval, animal health companies must demonstrate that their products are effective and safe for animals and safe for the environment. If a product is intended for use in food animals, meat from such animals must be proved safe for human consumption.

PEW COMMISSION HOLDS BRIEFING ON CAFOS’ EFFECTS ON RURAL COMMUNITIES
The Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production yesterday in Washington, D.C., held a congressional briefing on the "Economics of Industrial Farm Animal Production" and the "Impact of Industrial Farm Animal Production on Rural Communities." Commissioners Brother David Andrews, former executive director of National Catholic Rural Life Conference; Bill Niman, founder and former president of Niman Ranch; and Frederick Kirschenmann, distinguished fellow with the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, claimed that concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are having a negative impact on rural America. Animal Agriculture Alliance representatives and NPPC staff attended the hearing and continue to contest the validity of the opinions expressed by the panelists at the briefings. Yesterday’s briefing was the third in a series to discuss the commission’s two-year study on “industrial” farm animal production’s affects on public health, the environment, rural communities and animal welfare. The commission will issue April 29 a comprehensive report of its findings, including practical recommendations that will be made available for policy-makers, industry stakeholders and the general public.

EPA AG INDUSTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE HOLDS FIRST MEETINGS
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) newly formed Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Advisory Committee (FRRCC) held its inaugural meetings yesterday and today in Washington, D.C. The FRRCC is tasked with providing advice to the administrator of EPA on environmental issues and programs that affect, or are of concern to, farms, ranches and rural communities. The new committee is a part of EPA’s efforts to expand cooperative working relationships with the agriculture industry and others who are interested in agriculture issues and to achieve greater progress in environmental protection. NPPC members and pork industry leaders appointed to the 30-member panel are:
• Jim Moseley, Indiana pork producer and former Deputy U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and EPA agriculture adviser. Moseley is chairman of the FRRCC.
• Garth Boyd, senior vice president for Camco (a carbon credit trading firm) and former director of environmental technology for Smithfield Foods.
• Christine Chinn, Missouri pork producer.
• Gary Cooper, Chief Operating Officer of Cooper Farms and a pork producer.
• Dennis Treacy, vice president of environmental and corporate affairs for Smithfield Foods.

HOUSE HOLDS FOOD SAFETY HEARINGS
Several congressional hearings on food safety were held in the past two weeks. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a hearing last Thursday where Richard Raymond, USDA undersecretary for food safety, testified about the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s latest measures to improve food safety. Following the largest beef recall in U.S. history, Raymond offered solutions that FSIS will implement, including preventing animals with BSE to enter the food supply and recruiting more front-line food inspectors. Subcommittee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., urged FSIS to focus on preventing rather than reacting to food safety issues. Also discussed were USDA’s downer cow rule, international inspection practices and surveillance practices. Ranking Member Jack Kingston, R-Ga., and Rep. Tom Latham, R-Iowa, emphasized the overall abundance and safety of the American food supply. The Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a food safety hearing Wednesday where Steve Mendell, president and CEO of meat packer Hallmark/Westland, testified about his plant’s recent food safety violations. Subcommittee Chairman Bart Stupak, D-Mich., began the hearing with a video from the Humane Society of the United States that showed mistreatment of downer cows at the Hallmark/Westland plant. The subcommittee is considering new procedures to minimize the instance of contaminated meat in the food supply. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., proposed allowing USDA to issue mandatory recalls – currently they are voluntary – and requiring the ability to trace contaminated meat back to the slaughterhouse.

WHAT’S AHEAD

CONGRESS TAKES TWO-WEEK BREAK
Congress will be taking two weeks off beginning today, and many lawmakers will be returning to their home districts. NPPC is urging pork producers to use this time to contact their members of Congress on important issues, including:
• ADUFA reauthorization
• Farm Bill
• MCOOL fix
• Columbia Free Trade Agreement

NPPC Elects New Officers, Board Members

The National Pork Producers Council at its annual business meeting held March 7-9 in St. Louis elected new officers and members of its board of directors.

Taking over as president of the organization is Bryan Black of Ned Black & Sons farm in Canal Winchester, Ohio; Don Butler, director of government relations and public affairs for Murphy-Brown LLC – the livestock production subsidiary of Smithfield Foods Inc. – is president-elect; and Sam Carney, a producer from Adair, Iowa, is vice president. Each was elected for a one-year term.

Elected to the board for three-year terms in the producer category were Carney; Gary Asay, from Osco, Ill.; Mark Legan, from Coatesville, Ind.; and Bill Luckey, from Columbus, Neb. Quentin Bottorff, who works for Phibro Animal Health, was re-elected to a two-year term, representing allied industry.

“We have excellent leadership in Bryan, Don and Sam and quality, dedicated industry representatives in the new board members who were elected,” said NPPC CEO Neil Dierks. “I know that all of them will work diligently and tirelessly on behalf of America’s pork producers.”

In addition to the new officers and board members, continuing as NPPC directors are: Kathy Chinn, from Clarence, Mo.; Bob Dykhuis, from Holland, Mich.; R.C. Hunt, from Wilson, N.C.; Larry Liepold, from Okabena, Minn.; Randy Spronk, from Edgerton, Minn.; Doug Wolf, from Lancaster, Wis.; and Todd Neff, from Dakota Dunes, S.D., who serves as the Pork Producer Industry Council representative. Jill Appell, co-owner of Appell’s Pork Farms of Altona, Ill., will serve on the board as immediate past president.

Producers C. Ray Noecker, from Ashville, Ohio; E. Ray Summerlin Jr., from Rose Hill, N.C.; and Todd Wiley, from Walker, Iowa, were elected to NPPC Nominating Committee, which reviews the credentials of candidates for the organization’s board of directors.

National Pork Board News

Easter Ham Shines in Seattle

America’s Pork Producers have teamed up with Farmland Foods, Forest Glen Wines and QFC stores of Seattle to put a new spin on the Pacific Northwest’s Easter holiday.

“We decided to focuses on Mom for this holiday campaign and give her an Easter present she won’t forget,” says Rick O’Fallon, retail marketing manager, western division, for the National Pork Board. “Based on the results so far, it looks like we’ve hit a home run.”

Throughout March, coupons on bottles of Forest Glen wines allow shoppers to save $2 on any Farmland Spiral Cut Ham. Consumers can also register to win a complete dining room set from Basset Furniture of Seattle. The promotion is being supported by two weeks of radio advertising, along with in-store displays.

“The Pork Checkoff is thrilled to partner once again with this great retailer for the Easter holiday,” O’Fallon says. “The timing of this promotion is especially important this spring, since Easter falls just seven days after St. Patrick’s Day and we’ll be battling for meat case space with leftover corned beef!”

Pork Act Delegates Elect National Pork Board Members and Vote on Pork Checkoff Resolutions at Annual Meeting

Pork Act Delegates conducted elections for new members of both the National Pork Board and the Pork Board Nominating Committee and dealt with industry-related advisements and resolutions during their annual business meeting, March 6-8 in St. Louis, Mo., during the National Pork Industry Forum.

Ron Suther, Blaine,(left), Alan Haverkamp, Bern, and Chris Cox, Long Island, (not pictured) served as the Pork Act delegates for Kansas.

Each year, Pork Act Delegates have three specific duties under the Pork Act including recommending the rate of the Checkoff, setting the percentage of Checkoff that is returned to states, and nominating producers and/or importers for appointment to the National Pork Board and to the Checkoff Nominating Committee. The recommendations for appointments to the National Pork Board are made to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, who makes the final determination.

In voting on National Pork Board members, eight pork producers were ranked for consideration by the Secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary will appoint five producers to serve three-year terms. The Secretary's appointments typically are announced during the summer. The nominees, as ranked by the delegates, are:

Roy Henry, Kansas
Conley Nelson, Iowa
Alan Wilhoite, Indiana
Brian Zimmerman, Nebraska
Karen Richter, Minnesota
Dale Norton, Michigan
Jamey Tosh, Tennessee
Curtis Meier, Iowa

Pork Act Delegates also elected two members to two-year terms on the Pork Board Nominating Committee. They are:

· Wayne Peugh, Illinois
· William Kessler, Missouri

Pork Act Delegates adopted advisements asking the National Pork Board to:

· Adopt the document "Ethical Principles for U.S. Pork Producers".

· Move rapidly to address misinformation on the pork industry in the media.

· Seek out additional funding opportunities for educational activities.

· Endorse the long-range goal for agricultural education to create new programs in communities not yet served by agricultural education and FFA.

· Support all Pork Quality Assurance Plus™ (PQA Plus™) swine production practices and vigorously advocate those swine production practices in a cooperative manner with industry partners.

· Support the use of sound science to serve as the basis for developing standards for animal husbandry; and asks all producers to complete the PQA Plus program over the next three years.

· Support scientific studies that include on-farm research and focus on wells and potential contamination issues.

· Implement programming to work toward increasing domestic pork expenditures over the next three years.

· Request that the USDA develop a process whereby the Secretary of Agriculture can approve Pork Act Alternates at the same time the secretary appoints the Pork Act Delegates.

"There was a good debate regarding the resolution to increase the national rate of the Pork Checkoff from 40 cents for $100 value of pork sold, to 42.5 cents per $100 value of pork sold," said Harrison. "We wanted to make sure all delegates had a chance to voice their opinions prior acting upon this resolution."

After much debate it was moved to refer the Checkoff-rate resolution to the National Pork Board to facilitate further consideration over the next year; that the board form a working group representing the interests of state pork associations/ and that the working group ensure that the question of a Checkoff rate increase be brought before the various states for their review prior to this issue being brought before the 2009 Pork Act Delegate body.

National Pork Board Debuts The Other White Meat Tour

The National Pork Board unveiled the route for The Other White Meat Tour during the producer update session at the National Pork Industry Forum in St. Louis, Mo., today. The Other White Meat Tour is an experiential marketing campaign to educate consumers about all things pork.

"Our research shows that consumers want to have a positive experience with a product before buying it," said Traci Rodemeyer, manager of pork information for the Pork Checkoff. "The Other White Meat Tour will facilitate the positive experience between consumers and pork through sampling opportunities and personal interactions with pork producers."

The Other White Meat Tour will be traveling across the country through the traditional grilling season of May through September, stopping at high-traffic consumer events that reach a large percentage of the Checkoff's target audience, females 25-49 years old with kids in the home and who want to be better cooks.

The tour route includes the following events:

May 9-11 - Wichita River Festival, Wichita, Kan.
May 15-18 - Memphis in May BBQ Battle, Memphis, Tenn.
May 24-25 - Taste of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
May 30 - June 1 - River Splash, Milwaukee, Wis.
June 5-8 - Chicago Blues Festival, Chicago, Ill.
June 13-15 - Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Mich.
June 21-22 - 16th Annual Safeway BBQ Battle, Washington, D.C.
June 28-29 - Sunoco Welcomes America Taste of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa.
July 3-6 - Boston Harborfest, Boston, Mass.
July 12-13 - Taste of Buffalo, Buffalo, N.Y.
July 16-20 - Ann Arbor Arts Festival, Ann Arbor, Mich.
July 25-27 - NASCAR Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, Indianapolis, Ind.
August 1-3 - Kimball Art Fair, Park City, Utah
August 5-9 - Hot August Nights, Reno, Nev.
August 15-17 - California State Fair, Sacramento, Calif.
August 23-24 - PIER 39, San Francisco, Calif.
August 29 - September 1 - Taste of Colorado, Denver, Colo.
September 4-7 - Yellow Daisy Festival, Stone Mountain, Ga.
September 11-14 - LPGA Bell Micro Classic, Mobile, Ala.
September 20-21 - Old Pecan Street Festival, Austin, Texas
September 26-28 - State Fair of Texas, Dallas, Texas
October 3-5 - OktoberFest, Tempe, Ariz.
October 9-12 - Albuquerque International Balloon Festival, Albuquerque, N.M.

"Pork's presence at these large events will definitely be noticed," said Barb Determan, a pork producer from Early, Iowa and member of the Pork Checkoff Demand Enhancement Committee. "Along with sampling pork, our exhibit will be entertaining, engaging and educational."

In addition to the face-to-face interaction with consumers, The Other White Meat Tour will be fully supported through an integrated campaign of public relations, advertising and retail promotions.

"The tour allows us to integrate all of our marketing efforts to directly impact domestic pork expenditures," said Rodemeyer. "In addition to local radio advertising and customized retail promotions, we will also work with local chefs and media to educate consumers about pork and The Other White Meat Tour."

The Pork Checkoff is working with Marketing Werks, an industry leader in experiential marketing. Marketing Werks has executed successful tours for consumer brands such as Hershey's, Char-Broil, Verizon and Chevrolet.



Market Analysis

The KPA provides comments from analysts on a periodic basis. Their opinions and comments represent the opinions of the commentators--they do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Kansas Pork Association.

Hog Outlook
Glenn Grimes & Ron Plain,
University of Missouri - Columbia

March 21, 2008

Pork exports started the year off with a bang; up 26.6 percent from a year earlier and January exports were a record high for a month.

Net pork exports as a percent of production at 13 percent were up 19.3 percent from a year earlier. This gain in net pork exports was a major reason for the robust demand for live hogs.

Pork exports in January to Japan were down 10.4 percent, to Mexico down 7.1 percent, to Canada up 37.6 percent, to Russia up 128.7 percent, to mainland China and Hong Kong up 249.3 percent, to Taiwan down 14.8 percent, to Australia down 15.8 percent and to other countries up 84.1 percent.

Our pork imports in January were up 0.1 percent. Live hog imports from Canada were up 40.3 percent in the first month of 2008. Feeder pig imports in January were up 39.3 percent and non feeder pig imports were up 42.2 percent from 2007.

Retail pork prices in February were down 1.1 percent from January but up 1 percent from February 2007. Retail pork prices for January and February were up 1.5 percent from 12 months earlier. Marketing margins for pork were higher for all segments. The total margin was up 8.6 percent and the packers’ margin was up 7.9 percent. All changes are compared to a year earlier.

The bad news is that live hog prices in January and February were down 14.2 percent from a year earlier. However, hog prices would have been much lower with the 12 percent increase in slaughter without the growth in pork and live hog demand.

Slaughter weights for barrows and gilts for the week ending March 15th were up 0.1 pound from a week earlier but down 1.8 pounds from a year earlier. There are trade reports that producers are making a concerted effort to reduce weights. This may be a part of the reason why slaughter is staying so large through March.

Gilt slaughter for the week ending March 15 has been up from a year earlier. Sow slaughter for the two weeks ending March 8 was up 7.9 percent from 12 months earlier.

Our estimate of the March 1 Hogs and Pigs is: all hogs and pigs up 4.3 percent, breeding herd down 1 percent and market herd up 4.9 percent from 12 months earlier.

With the continued high record slaughter hog prices were pushed lower again this week. Top live barrow and gilt prices Friday morning were $1.50 to $2.00 per cwt lower compared to a week earlier. Weighted average negotiated carcass prices Friday morning were $0.54 higher to $1.23 per cwt lower compared to seven days earlier.

The top live hog prices for select markets Friday morning were: Peoria $29.00 per cwt, St. Paul $ N/A per cwt and interior Missouri $34.80 per cwt. The weighted average carcass prices by area were: western Cornbelt $48.25 per cwt, eastern Cornbelt $47.60 per cwt, Iowa-Minnesota $48.89 per cwt and nation $47.87 per cwt.

The cutout per cwt of carcass for Thursday afternoon at $56.75 per cwt down $0.54 per cwt, loins at $76.16 per cwt up $1.17 per cwt, Boston butts at $56.03 per cwt down $0.53 per cwt, hams at $42.28 per cwt up $0.96 per cwt and bellies at $60.35 per cwt down $5.88 per cwt. All comparisons are with a week earlier.

Slaughter this week under Federal Inspection was estimated at 2306 thousand head up 9.8 percent from a year earlier.

March 14, 2008

Ham Up Your Easter

Love ham for the holiday? You’re not alone. According to a recent National Pork Board survey, 67 percent of Americans serve ham at their Easter dinners.

“Ham is traditionally the star of the Easter feast, but we’re reminding food editors that you don’t have to serve the same ham every year,” says Pamela Johnson, director of consumer communications for the National Pork Board. “People are always looking for fresh ideas, and we’re presenting new possibilities.”

To keep ham in the news this Easter, the Pork Checkoff’s Pork Information Bureau has supplied an e-newsletter, a press release, an audio news release and a “featurette” to leading media outlets across the country. Complete with a honey-apricot glazed ham recipe and ham fact sheet, the materials highlight how ham practically prepares itself, offers endless possibilities due to its versatility and leanness, and pairs well with any side dish.

The featurette, which includes an article, photography and a recipe, offers newspapers an easy way to include a feature story on Easter ham and has proven popular in past media campaigns. “It’s especially useful for publications that may not have a food editor on staff or may not have time to create a feature on Easter ham,” says Johnson, who will discuss all things ham during a live interview on “Everyday Food,” Martha Stewart’s Sirius radio show.

Ham per-capita consumption has gone up in recent years, and 24 percent of Americans eat entrée ham at least one time in an average two-week period, based on research from the NPD Group. “To build on this momentum, the Pork Checkoff continues to find innovative ways to provide the information that the media and consumers need, not only at Easter, but throughout the year," Johnson adds.

KPA Legislative Update

Last Week

The KPA is participating in a Business Coalition Immigration Working Group. This is a group of business lobbyists representing packing plants, railroads, cattle and swine interests, contractors, solid waste facilities, and other businesses interests in Kansas that are concerned with the current legislative proposals that attempt to address the immigration issue in Kansas.

Committee Activity

Both the House Federal and State Affairs Committee and the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committees worked immigration measures this week. The Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee made several amendments to Sub for SB 458, including striking the requirements that businesses check new hires against a federal database and striking the criminal penalties for business that knowingly hire illegal immigrants. The bill does state that any business that knowingly employs illegal aliens would be guilty of civil offenses and would be prosecuted by the Attorney General for those violations. The House measure, which is now contained in H Sub for SB 329, would mandate the use of a federal database to check new hires, although the Department of Labor could run the checks on behalf of businesses; businesses could face contempt charges if they knowingly hire an illegal immigrant; law enforcement officers are expected to ask every arrestee about their citizenship status and the Attorney General will investigate law enforcement agencies accused of not asking the citizenship question. The business and agricultural interests at the Capitol prefer the approach taken in SB 458.

The House Insurance and Financial Institutions Committee held hearings on SB 464 (waiving reinsurance agreements when an insurer ceases to do business) and SB 498 (increases the penalties for refusing to respond to KID inquiries). Representatives from the KID were the only conferees on both bills. Although there were not many questions regarding SB 464, some of the Committee members were concerned about the fine increase contained in the Senate amendments to SB 498, and the ability of the KID to adequately force insurers to respond to a consumer complaint. The Committee did not take any action on the bills.

The Senate Health Care Strategies Committee made a few substantive changes to SB 541. The bill would expand the Healthwave program for children of poor families by providing coverage for children living in a household having a gross income at or under 225 percent of the federal poverty guidelines in 2009 and at or under 250 percent in 2010 and subsequent years. The bill also abandons the premium assistance programs that assist low-income Kansans with the purchase of private insurance. The bill also adds the Commissioner of Education as the eighth nonvoting member of the Kansas Health Policy Authority; requires the KHPA to establish a small business wellness grant program and requires the KHPA to incorporate a medical home delivery system within Medicaid Regular Assistance, the State Children's Health Insurance Program and MediKan.

Floor Action

The House passed SB 267, which concerns the crime of failure to comply with a Wildlife and Parks citation, by a vote of 121-0; H Sub for SB 113, which would limit a health insurer’s right to recover an erroneous payment to 18 months, by a vote of 123-0; H Sub for SB 273, which requires insurance companies to provide information on claimants that owe child support to the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, by a vote of 116-7 and SB 441, which updates the annual HIPAA compliance laws, by a vote of 123-0.

The Senate passed Sub for SB 577, which enacts the Radon Awareness Law and the Radon Certification Law, by a vote of 33-7 and HB 2748, which concerns the tagging of big game and wild turkey, by a vote of 40-0.

The House gave tentative approval to Sub for HB-2762. This bill made some changes to the business income tax and sales tax refund laws.

Next Week

The House will debate Immigration on Monday, Health Care Reform on Tuesday, and the first of several Budget bills on Wednesday.

The Federal and State Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on SB 622, which would allow the sale of “strong beer” in convenience stores.

The Senate Commerce Committee will have an informational hearing regarding Kan-ed.

The House Energy and Utilities Committee will hold a hearing on SB 586, which concerns incentives for utilities to develop nuclear power plants and SB 570, which concerns exemptions for local carriers from the Kansas Universal Service Fund.

The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee will hold hearings on SB 123, which establishes the Upper Arkansas River Conservation Enhancement Program.

The House Health and Human Services Committee will hold a hearing on HB 2914, which would enact the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Disclosure Act, which requires the disclosure of gifts from pharmaceutical companies and their agents.

PQA Plus Meeting to be held in Washington

Producers needing to obtain certification in the PQA Plus Program can attend a session beginning at 12:30 p.m., March 20, at the First National Bank, 101 C Street, in Washington. There will be a charge of $20 per farm operation. The Kansas Pork Association will provide lunch.

For more information, contact the Washington Veterinary Clinic at 785-325-2391.

Biologists continue attack on feral hogs

BY MICHAEL PEARCE
The Wichita Eagle

U.S. Department of Agriculture biologists spent much of February shooting feral hogs from helicopters in an effort to control the hog population. For the third consecutive February, U.S. Department of Agriculture biologists shot and killed feral hogs from helicopters at several Kansas locations. The hunt, funded by the state livestock commission and Kansas pork growers, did well.

Tom Halstead, USDA's state director of wildlife services, said more than 330 feral pigs were shot from a leased helicopter over about 16 days from Feb. 4-23. Another 155 had been trapped and killed in past months. "I think we're making a difference," Halstead said.

Kansas is one many states battling expanding feral swine populations. Some may have moved into Ka